TSUMUGU · B1 · 字
調
ㄊㄧㄠˊ · tiáo/diào
verb — (tiáo) to adjust, blend, tune; (diào) to transfer, move; noun — (diào) a tone, a tune
字源 FORM — what the parts do
IFTzhōu → tiáo / diào — the zh shifts forward, rime and tone with it
Speech or sound (言) and 周 zhōu for the sound. 說文 reads it 和也 — to harmonize: bring the parts all the way round (周) into agreement. Tuning a pitch, blending a flavor (調味), settling a dispute (調和) read tiáo; shifting people or things into place, and the resulting tone, read diào. It rides the 周 series: 綢、稠.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
把聲音（言）一處處周（周）全地對齊，就調和了。
Bringing every part of the sound (言) all the way round (周) into agreement — it is tuned.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
tiáo
(本義)調和、調整— to harmonize, adjust常用
→調味、調料— to season, blend a flavor常用
diào
(引申)調動、調職— to transfer, move into place常用
→音調、調查— a tone, a tune; to investigate常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension