<p>the character “右” &amp; “石” just look similar in regular script, do <strong>not</strong> fixate on it.</p>
<p>both characters in oracle bone script, and bronze script are significantly different:</p>
<p><a href="https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%9F%B3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=石</a></p>
<p><a href="https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%8F%B3" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=右</a></p>
<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-24T19:15:53.620Z
yes, its like asking if the letter "bat" and "pat" are related because of how similar they appear visially.  characters with less lines are frequently going to have some similar looking characters by coincidence.
zagrycha
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-24T19:52:49.070Z
@zagrycha Given the nature of logographic writing, I'd say it's closer to asking if the letters "I" (uppercase i) and "l" (lowercase L) are related, or whether "0" (zero) and "O" (oh) are related.
Ben Hocking
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-24T19:55:29.347Z
See also: https://www.dictionary.com/e/o-zero/#:~:text=Long%2C%20long%20ago%2C%20typewriters%20made%20no%20distinction%20between,of%20both%20number%20and%20letter%20are%20quite%20different.
Ben Hocking
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-24T19:55:39.833Z
And: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/105818/capital-i-and-lowercase-l#:~:text=The%20letter%20I%20came%20from%20the%20Greek%20letter,based%20on%20the%20shape%20of%20a%20shepherd%27s%20staff%29.
Ben Hocking
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-24T21:10:36.993Z
To be fair, it's a bit like asking if "q" and "g" are related. Maybe?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-25T12:55:30.490Z
@Mou某 or "G" and "C": https://www.dictionary.com/e/gandc/
Ben Hocking
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-24T14:37:22.440Z
2023-04-24T14:37:22.440Z
水巷孑蠻
<p><a href="https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/35595/is-the-connection-between-right-in-the-sense-of-direction-and-concepts-like-c/35598#35598?newreg=1ba4c0e69a694ed68feb9e7724b67c8c">An answer in Linguistics</a> led me to investigate the radicals composing the written word 'right' (右), which led me to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_112" rel="nofollow noreferrer">stone radical</a> (石). There is a very subtle (to me) difference in that the lines cross for the former case but just touch in the latter case. Is there an etymological connection between these?</p>
<p>Also, while I can see that the stone radical seems to be composed of the cliff radical (厂) and either the enclosure radical (囗) or the mouth radical (口)<sup>*</sup>, I cannot find the radical that's like cliff but crosses, as in 右.</p>
<p><sup>*</sup> While I can see the mouth is narrower, those are far too subtly different for me to distinguish</p>

<etymology><radicals>
Is there a connection between right (direction) and the 'stone' radical?
# Is there a connection between right (direction) and the 'stone' radical?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-04-24)

[An answer in Linguistics](https://linguistics.stackexchange.com/questions/35595/is-the-connection-between-right-in-the-sense-of-direction-and-concepts-like-c/35598#35598?newreg=1ba4c0e69a694ed68feb9e7724b67c8c) led me to investigate the radicals composing the written word 'right' (右), which led me to the [stone radical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_112) (石). There is a very subtle (to me) difference in that the lines cross for the former case but just touch in the latter case. Is there an etymological connection between these?

Also, while I can see that the stone radical seems to be composed of the cliff radical (厂) and either the enclosure radical (囗) or the mouth radical (口)\*, I cannot find the radical that's like cliff but crosses, as in 右.

\* While I can see the mouth is narrower, those are far too subtly different for me to distinguish

**Tags:** etymology, radicals


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2023-04-24. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

the character “右” & “石” just look similar in regular script, do **not** fixate on it.

both characters in oracle bone script, and bronze script are significantly different:

[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=石](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%9F%B3)

[https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=右](https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk//Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E5%8F%B3)

have fun :)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: yes, its like asking if the letter "bat" and "pat" are related because of how similar they appear visially.  characters with less lines are frequently going to have some similar looking characters by coincidence.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Given the nature of logographic writing, I'd say it's closer to asking if the letters "I" (uppercase i) and "l" (lowercase L) are related, or whether "0" (zero) and "O" (oh) are related.  
> **username_0**: See also: https://www.dictionary.com/e/o-zero/#:~:text=Long%2C%20long%20ago%2C%20typewriters%20made%20no%20distinction%20between,of%20both%20number%20and%20letter%20are%20quite%20different.  
> **username_0**: And: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/105818/capital-i-and-lowercase-l#:~:text=The%20letter%20I%20came%20from%20the%20Greek%20letter,based%20on%20the%20shape%20of%20a%20shepherd%27s%20staff%29.  
> **username_3**: To be fair, it's a bit like asking if "q" and "g" are related. Maybe?  
> **username_0**: @username_3 or "G" and "C": https://www.dictionary.com/e/gandc/  

---

