TSUMUGU · TOCFL C1 (est.) · 字
稷
稷 ＝ 禾 ＋ 畟
ㄐㄧˋ · jì
noun — millet, the principal grain; the grain-god (社稷)
字源 FORM — what the parts do
禾義grain on the stalk
畟聲cè — gives the sounda foot 夊 under 田 and 人 — striding the field
{j,q,x}ITcè → jì — the sibilant slid into the {j,q,x} palatal series
Grain (禾) with 畟 cè for the sound — the millet that fed the old north, the grain crops grew first and best on. Held as the people's staple, it stood for the grain-altar; paired with 社, the land-altar, 社稷 means the whole state.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一片禾（禾）田，腳步（畟）一壟壟走過去——收的這種穀，是稷。
A field of grain (禾), footsteps (畟) pacing the rows one by one — the crop brought in is 稷.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)稷（小米）— millet, the chief grain常用
→五穀之長— the foremost of the grains
⇒社稷— the grain-altar; the state常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
稼jiàthe lookalike on — 稼 puts 家 (a home) for sowing crops, 稷 puts 社shèits partner in 社稷 — the land-altar to its grain-altar