Multiple Kanji!

[Tomii515]

Okay. Well, There are kanji that are by it self, 日, there are kanji that are 2 (or more) seperate kanji that make one word, 今日, and there are kanji that are 2 (or more) kani put together to make one kanji, 森, atleast, those are ones I'm talking about right now. Some make sence, and some don't. 今日　makes sence because it's 今 + 日 = 今日 (Now + Day = Today, This Day). See how it makes sence? And 森 makes sence because it's 木 + 木 = 森 (Tree + Tree = Forest). See how that makes sence? But how come some kanji don't make sence, both ways. The 1st way, 家内 = Wife, right? But does 家 + 内 = 家内 (House + Inside = Wife) make sence? I don't think so. Also, how about　美? Does 羊 + 大 = 美 (Sheep + Big = Beauty). That doesn't make sence! o.o! Does anyone knwo why some things are like this? I thought this would be interesting to find out. Thanks!

-トミー

[doinkies]

About 家内, generally this word is not used much anymore because of its kanji, because "house + inside" imply that all wives stay in the home at all times. 妻（つま） is the more common word used for "wife" nowadays.

As for 羊 and 大 being put together to make 美, generally, big fluffy plump sheep are seen as being good and desirable sheep to have, so thus 美 developed a meaning of "nice" or "good" that evolved to mean "beautiful".

This site has some interesting articles about kanji and how they were formed and the common radicals (parts) of each kanji.

[Supervin]

Originally Posted by Tomii515

And 森 makes sence because it's 木 + 木 = 森 (Tree + Tree = Forest). ... But how come some kanji don't make sence, both ways. The 1st way, 家内 = Wife, right? But does 家 + 内 = 家内 (House + Inside = Wife) make sence? I don't think so. Also, how about　美? Does 羊 + 大 = 美 (Sheep + Big = Beauty). That doesn't make sence! o.o! Does anyone knwo why some things are like this? I thought this would be interesting to find out. Thanks!
-トミー

Regarding 羊 + 大 = 美 (Sheep + Big = Beauty), the logic is in the fact that big sheep were perceived as 'beautiful', hence you get this meaning when you combine the components. It probably doesn't make sense in modern times, but kanji has been in use for like 8000 years including the evolving forms. So it's likely that in really ancient times, sheep were used for trade or something (either that or people had sheep fetishes maybe ).

As for 家内 = Wife, this is exclusively Japanese in usage for this definition - at least nowadays, although this could probably be a definition that has gone obsolete in the Chinese language a long time ago. Since 家内 refers to household and that in traditional Eastern culture women are housewives, it would make sense for this phrase to have such an inferred definition.

[yamada]

林 is a family name which many of japanese have.

3 Mr./Ms. 林 was chatting in a room. Their teacher came into the room and said 林がいっぱいいる。これでは森だ。

[Kinsao]

I do find it inordinately amusing that 'big sheep' = 'beauty'........
Sorry. Just my childish sense of humour... I can understand the logic behind it, though, because it's obviously better to have a healthy sheep than a skinny scrawny one. (Why anything sheep? Why not something 'flower', or 'sparkling water', or 'flowing hair' or... *gives up* I guess the world will never know... XD)