<p>Ji Xusheng's, <em>A New Textual Research on Origin of Chinese Characters</em>, p. 351 has the following entry:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4b4vTmLj.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4b4vTmLj.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here it is shown that the original meaning was:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>释义：竹筋</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This is further referenced and translated in Outlier's <em>Dictionary of
Chinese Characters</em>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In 筋,  “bamboo leaves hanging down; bamboo” is a  meaning component, pointing to the  original meaning “bamboo sinew.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The extension of meanings from there is then fairly logical. See Outlier's meaning tree:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>1 (orig.) bamboo sinew<br />
2 → tendon<br />
3 → muscle fiber<br />
‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎4 ⇒ muscle</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-08T11:45:28.930Z
what is that strange looking character with flesh and knife? I've never seen it before. So the "strength" was actually a "knife"?
Fishuman
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-09T04:26:43.347Z
@Fishuman That's a variant character, or graphical corruption, of 剝, used semantically to mean "to peel" in 筋.
prismcool
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-09T05:46:28.610Z
This character: ? http://zisea.com/zscontent.asp?uni=206E7
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T11:05:09.597Z
2024-08-06T11:05:09.597Z
Mou某
<blockquote>
<p>Why does 筋 have bamboo at the top part?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To distinguish ribs, bone, from actual meat, which is muscles and tendons.</p>
<p>Mostly, bones and flesh come together.</p>
<p>筋骨：jīngǔ：physique<br />
肋骨 lèi gǔ ：rib(s)<br />
筋：jīn,qián：muscles; tendons<br />
肋： lèi,lē,jīn：ribs; chest<br />
肉：⺼：ròu,rù：ribs<br />
力：lì：power, capability, influence<br />
竹：zhú：bamboo （2个）</p>
<p>Imagine you are an ancient Chinaman. You want to represent meat with a little ideograph. What would you draw? A blob? But if you represent meat with bone, the task becomes easier: ⺼. Actually draw the bones and the infer the meat attached thereto, the poor pig split asunder!</p>
<p>肋骨骨折
fractured rib （ouch)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T07:22:14.660Z
2024-08-06T07:22:14.660Z
Pedroski
<p>Let's trace the root word of <strong>筋</strong>:</p>
<p>【集韻】<strong>筋</strong>，古文<strong>竻</strong>字。註見六畫。</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%AB%BB" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><strong>竻</strong></a> 《康熙字典》- 【集韻】歷德切，音勒。<strong>竹根</strong>也。</p>
<p><strong>Bamboo Roots</strong>:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/7xYtwjeK.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/7xYtwjeK.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T19:33:16.113Z
2024-08-06T20:50:30.600Z
2024-08-06T20:50:30.600Z
r13
<p>Why does 筋 have bamboo at the top part? Surely tendons and muscles are related to flesh 肉 and strength 力, and even looks a bit like muscle 肌, but I can't seem to find a reason why there is bamboo 竹 on top as it doesn't seem to contribute phonetically or semantically. Is it purely a decorative component to distinguish from 肋/肌?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T05:31:47.873Z
According to what I'm finding from a few sources, I think semantic 竹 is used here for 筋 (jīn; muscles, tendons) because the original meaning of the character is "bamboo sinew (e.g. the material used to make bows with)".
prismcool
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-06T05:32:31.910Z
I'll write up an answer for you if I find any further information.
prismcool
<glyph-origin><character-components>
Why is there bamboo in 筋?
# Why is there bamboo in 筋?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-06)

Why does 筋 have bamboo at the top part? Surely tendons and muscles are related to flesh 肉 and strength 力, and even looks a bit like muscle 肌, but I can't seem to find a reason why there is bamboo 竹 on top as it doesn't seem to contribute phonetically or semantically. Is it purely a decorative component to distinguish from 肋/肌?

**Tags:** glyph-origin, character-components

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: According to what I'm finding from a few sources, I think semantic 竹 is used here for 筋 (jīn; muscles, tendons) because the original meaning of the character is "bamboo sinew (e.g. the material used to make bows with)".  
> **username_1**: I'll write up an answer for you if I find any further information.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-08-06. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Ji Xusheng's, *A New Textual Research on Origin of Chinese Characters*, p. 351 has the following entry:

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/4b4vTmLj.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/4b4vTmLj.png)

Here it is shown that the original meaning was:

> 释义：竹筋

This is further referenced and translated in Outlier's *Dictionary of
Chinese Characters*:

> In 筋, “bamboo leaves hanging down; bamboo” is a  meaning component, pointing to the  original meaning “bamboo sinew.”

The extension of meanings from there is then fairly logical. See Outlier's meaning tree:

> 1 (orig.) bamboo sinew  
> 2 → tendon  
> 3 → muscle fiber  
> ‎‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎4 ⇒ muscle

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: what is that strange looking character with flesh and knife? I've never seen it before. So the "strength" was actually a "knife"?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 That's a variant character, or graphical corruption, of 剝, used semantically to mean "to peel" in 筋.  
> **username_2**: This character: ? http://zisea.com/zscontent.asp?uni=206E7  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-08-06. Score: 0

> Why does 筋 have bamboo at the top part?

To distinguish ribs, bone, from actual meat, which is muscles and tendons.

Mostly, bones and flesh come together.

筋骨：jīngǔ：physique  
肋骨 lèi gǔ ：rib(s)  
筋：jīn,qián：muscles; tendons  
肋： lèi,lē,jīn：ribs; chest  
肉：⺼：ròu,rù：ribs  
力：lì：power, capability, influence  
竹：zhú：bamboo （2个）

Imagine you are an ancient Chinaman. You want to represent meat with a little ideograph. What would you draw? A blob? But if you represent meat with bone, the task becomes easier: ⺼. Actually draw the bones and the infer the meat attached thereto, the poor pig split asunder!

肋骨骨折
fractured rib （ouch)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-08-06. Score: 0

Let's trace the root word of **筋**:

【集韻】**筋**，古文**竻**字。註見六畫。

[**竻**](https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E7%AB%BB) 《康熙字典》- 【集韻】歷德切，音勒。**竹根**也。

**Bamboo Roots**:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/7xYtwjeK.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/7xYtwjeK.png)


---

