<h2>隶: hold an ox tail on the right hand to catch a slave</h2>
<p>隶 is a 會意字 (ideogrammic compounds).
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/qfuxv.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qfuxv.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
The upper part is 象形字 (Pictogram) for 又，which upon creation meant right hand. You can see clearly the thumb, the middle finger and the index finger.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/zJ7Fs.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zJ7Fs.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>The lower part is ox tail. The four side strokes are hair on the tail. Thus, the <strong>glyph pictures that someone is holding ox tail on his right hand.</strong></p>
<p>The 會意 implication of the glyph comes then naturally from two questions: <strong>what is he doing by holding ox tail on his right hand? The answer is to successfully catch someone.</strong> This is the first meaning (also extended to mean 及, reach).  Now it's written as 逮 dai4. The extra part 夊 sui1 means to walk. The second question is <strong>who is caught? The answer is slave.</strong> This is the second meaning, now pronounced as li4.</p>
<hr />
<h2>麥：(auspicious) wheat comes (from the almighty sky)</h2>
<p>麥 mai4 was originally written as 來 lai2.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/kZuIF.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/kZuIF.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mcXBo.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mcXBo.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>來 is a 象形字 (pictogram), meaning wheat. The horizontal stroke was originally added as a left-falling stroke, intensifying the meaning of ear of wheat.</p>
<p>Ancient Chinese thought 瑞麥天來, which meaning <strong>auspicious wheat comes from the almighty</strong>. Thus this glyph was then used to mean to come. Later this meaning gained dominance and another glyph 麥 was created to refer to its original meaning, wheat. The added part is a foot plate 夊, concreting the thought of 瑞麥天來.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Yanwe.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Yanwe.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-23T14:34:42.577Z
Thanks for the great explanation of etymology and etymological correct mnemonic.
Rachayita
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-23T23:22:50.500Z
麥：auspicious wheat comes from the almighty sky => Could you please elaborate to strict to my mind? where is sky or auspicious in this char?
Rachayita
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-25T10:41:34.237Z
I put in two brackets: (auspicious) wheat comes (from the almighty sky). It's not explicitly encoded. But the concept is corroborated with other glyph as well as classical documents.
lilysirius
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-26T01:52:47.740Z
Lilysirius has a very comprehensive answer.  You can also recognize that 来 was originally just a sound loan of “wheat.”  To distinguish the meanings, they added roots to the character for wheat 麦. It’s also possible that the characters were meant in reverse so that a foot was added to the meaning of “come,” but because of the stark difference in frequency, the usage got switched again so that 麦 was again used to mean “wheat.”
Vegawatcher
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-01-23T13:46:25.530Z
2022-01-25T10:37:17.990Z
2022-01-25T10:37:17.990Z
lilysirius
<p>隶 lì to catch, Servant
麦 mài wheat, barley</p>
<p>Can anyone suggest unique, etymologically correct mnemonic for the above radicals? Thanks</p>

<meaning><etymology>
Good Mnemonic to remember few radicals
# Good Mnemonic to remember few radicals

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-01-23)

隶 lì to catch, Servant
麦 mài wheat, barley

Can anyone suggest unique, etymologically correct mnemonic for the above radicals? Thanks

**Tags:** meaning, etymology


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-01-23. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

## 隶: hold an ox tail on the right hand to catch a slave

隶 is a 會意字 (ideogrammic compounds).
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/qfuxv.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/qfuxv.jpg)
The upper part is 象形字 (Pictogram) for 又，which upon creation meant right hand. You can see clearly the thumb, the middle finger and the index finger.
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/zJ7Fs.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/zJ7Fs.jpg)

The lower part is ox tail. The four side strokes are hair on the tail. Thus, the **glyph pictures that someone is holding ox tail on his right hand.**

The 會意 implication of the glyph comes then naturally from two questions: **what is he doing by holding ox tail on his right hand? The answer is to successfully catch someone.** This is the first meaning (also extended to mean 及, reach). Now it's written as 逮 dai4. The extra part 夊 sui1 means to walk. The second question is **who is caught? The answer is slave.** This is the second meaning, now pronounced as li4.

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## 麥：(auspicious) wheat comes (from the almighty sky)

麥 mai4 was originally written as 來 lai2.
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/kZuIF.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/kZuIF.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/mcXBo.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/mcXBo.jpg)

來 is a 象形字 (pictogram), meaning wheat. The horizontal stroke was originally added as a left-falling stroke, intensifying the meaning of ear of wheat.

Ancient Chinese thought 瑞麥天來, which meaning **auspicious wheat comes from the almighty**. Thus this glyph was then used to mean to come. Later this meaning gained dominance and another glyph 麥 was created to refer to its original meaning, wheat. The added part is a foot plate 夊, concreting the thought of 瑞麥天來.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Yanwe.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Yanwe.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for the great explanation of etymology and etymological correct mnemonic.  
> **username_0**: 麥：auspicious wheat comes from the almighty sky => Could you please elaborate to strict to my mind? where is sky or auspicious in this char?  
> **username_1**: I put in two brackets: (auspicious) wheat comes (from the almighty sky). It's not explicitly encoded. But the concept is corroborated with other glyph as well as classical documents.  
> **username_2**: username_1 has a very comprehensive answer.  You can also recognize that 来 was originally just a sound loan of “wheat.”  To distinguish the meanings, they added roots to the character for wheat 麦. It’s also possible that the characters were meant in reverse so that a foot was added to the meaning of “come,” but because of the stark difference in frequency, the usage got switched again so that 麦 was again used to mean “wheat.”  

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