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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

(From Arma) From river-stopper to wunderkind whisperer, 才 proves that talent is all about shaping the flow. NOTE: All our stories are grounded in true etymology, not in invented mnemonics.

Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

Sample time: テレーザちゃんは何才ですか？ Terēza-chan wa nan-sai desu ka? "How old is little Theresa?" アレクシスは戦闘工兵としての才があったようでな。 Arekushisu wa sentō kōhei to shite no sai ga atta yō de na. "Alexis, it seems, had a knack for combat engineering."

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

Be not fooled: a child may be 5 才, but it doesn't mean they're a musical genius. Yet.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

Talent, in this family, is less sparkle and more scalpel. Now, curveball: 才 is also used as a shorthand for 歳 (age), purely because they share the same pronunciation: sai. This is what we call a semantic hitchhiker.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

Talent, then, isn't just some divine spark. It's the ability to carve something meaningful out of the unformed. And speaking of carving, 才 also shares DNA with 宰 (to cut meat) and 裁 (to tailor). All very precise, hands-on, let-me-just-trim-this-excess types of kanji.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

Control. Precision. From this humble hydrological beginning, 才 took a poetic career turn. Just as a dam shapes water, so too does talent shape potential. The idea evolved: raw, unshaped material (like lumber: see also 材) becomes valuable through natural ability and refinement.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

Yes, a literal wooden barricade stopping water dead in its tracks. Before it was dazzling anyone with raw aptitude, 才 was out there cutting off rivers and managing floods. The shape of the kanji itself represents this early meaning: a horizontal stroke blocking a vertical flow. Water, halted. Boom.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3h

Raw Talent, Dam Good: The Tale of 才

Meet 才 (sai). It means "talent," but before you imagine a tap-dancing prodigy or violin-playing toddler, let's rewind: because this character's original gig was a little... wetter. Originally, 才 was a pictogram of a dam.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 18h

So next time you eat a kashiwa mochi, remember: you're not just biting into a seasonal sweet: you're chewing on a delightful kanji mix-up wrapped in symbolic leaves. NOTE: All our stories are grounded in true etymology, not in invented mnemonics.

Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 18h

Mata, Edo ni wa atotsugi o daiji ni kangaeru buke ga ōku sonzai shite ita koto kara, kashiwamochi o taberu fūshū wa Kantō o chūshin ni Higashi Nihon he hirogarimashita. "Because so many samurai families in Edo valued their heirs, the custom of eating kashiwa mochi spread throughout eastern Japan."

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 18h

Because the leaves stay put until the new buds show up, symbolizing the samurai ideal of generational continuity. In Edo, where family succession was serious business, this dessert became a hit and spread across eastern Japan. Example time: また、江戸には跡継を大事に考える武家が多く存在していたことから、柏餅を食べる風習は関東を中心に東日本へ広がりました。

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 18h

The correct kanji for the Japanese emperor oak? 槲. But 柏 just wouldn't leaf the stage. This leafy misunderstanding became deliciously entrenched thanks to 柏餅 (kashiwa mochi): a traditional mochi stuffed with sweet red bean paste, wrapped in a kashiwa leaf. Why?

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 18h

Let's break it down: 柏 is made of 木 (tree) and 白, which originally depicted a small acorn-like fruit. So etymologically, it's a "tree with little fruits." But thanks to phonetic borrowing (and a bit of botanical confusion), the Japanese associated it with their beloved kashiwa.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 18h

But in Japanese? It's famously misread as the Japanese emperor oak, aka kashiwa, a broad-leaved oak with leaves as stubborn as a boomer uncle: they refuse to fall off the tree until the new ones push them out in spring.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 18h

When a Tree Becomes a Mochi Wrapper, and a Kanji Misunderstanding

Meet 柏 (kashiwa or haku, depending on who you ask), a kanji that's having a bit of an identity crisis. Officially, it refers to the oriental arborvitae: a stately tree that sounds like it should come with a temple and a wise monk.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

Because whether it's a Picasso or a poncho, if it's worth seeing, it's worth披-ing. 披: from primitive cloak to full-blown public spectacle. Honestly, what a glow-up. NOTE: All our stories are grounded in true etymology, not in invented mnemonics.

Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

Hirōen no shōtaijō o okuri shimasu. "We'll be sending out the invitations to our wedding reception." Translation: RSVP now or forever hold your side dish complaints. Even new museums get their moment with an お披露目 (ohirōme): the grand public ta-da!

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

Translation: He hit them with the full gallery exhibit and zero shame. And then there's 披露宴 (hirōen): literally, "the banquet of baring it all," better known as your wedding reception. Where you publicly debut your new life partner and the seating chart from hell. 披露宴の招待状をお送りします。

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

Whether it's art, announcements, or your opinions at 2am, 披露 has you covered (or, well, uncovered). 彼は自信を持って自作の絵画を友人たちに披露した。 Kare wa jishin o motte jisaku no kaiga o yūjin-tachi ni hirō shita. "He confidently showed his self-made paintings to his friends."

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

Over time, it picked up some delightful metaphorical meanings too, like "to tear," "to crack," or just plain "to overshare." Enter 披露 (hirō): a word that means "unveiling," "revealing," or "laying it all bare."

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

The hand does the action; the hide does the... hiding (or not, depending on how drafty it is). Originally, this kanji meant "to open up" or "to spread": as in opening a leather cloak like you're about to reveal the secret map to buried treasure.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

You've just skinned a deer (congrats), and now you're not just opening the hide: no no, you're 披-ing it. Which means flinging it open and dramatically draping it over yourself like the world's first fashion statement. Function meets flair. Caveman couture. Because 披 = hand (扌) + hide (皮).

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 2d

披: When Leather Met Weather and TMI

Let's talk about 披 (hi): the kanji that starts with a simple act: grabbing a floppy piece of animal skin and doing something very prehistorically fabulous with it. Picture this: it's the Jōmon era. It's freezing.

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Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3d

Kaku iu boku mo, jitsu wa yūrei wo mite naita koto ga arun da. I must admit I once cried because I thought I saw a ghost. So don't be fooled by the polished tone: 斯 was once all edge and no elegance. NOTE: All our stories are grounded in true etymology, not in invented mnemonics.

Loek van Kooten, MA @loekalization.bsky.social · 3d

Kaku shite watashi wa masumasu shigoto ni sei wo dashi, Teruya wa kaigaishii shufu to natta. "And thus, I threw myself even more into work, while Teruya became a diligent househusband." 斯く言う (kaku iu) : "even I, who say this..." 斯く言う僕も、実は幽霊を見て泣いたことがあるんだ。

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