TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
阿
阿 ＝ 阝 ＋ 可
ㄚ · ā
prefix — friendly tag before names and kin terms (阿姨, 阿明); noun — a big mound, a bend
字源 FORM — what the parts do
阝義a mound, a slope (the left 阜)left-side 阝 is 阜 "mound," not the right-side 邑 "town"
IF≠kě → ā, worn away to a bare vowel
A big mound (阝) bending round — 可 kě carries the sound, worn down to a bare ā. The mound meaning fell away; what survives is the sound, now a warm tag stuck before names and kin: 阿姨、阿公、阿明.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
順著土坡（阝）喊一聲，可（可）不就把人叫過來了——阿明！
You call out along the slope (阝) and sure enough (可) someone comes — A-ming!
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)大陵、山阿— a big mound; a bend in the hills
→阿姨、阿公— friendly prefix before kin terms常用
⇒阿明、阿英— friendly prefix before names常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension