刀

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sword

On-Yomi: トウ — Kun-Yomi: かたな、そり

Elements:

sword, dagger

Heisig story:

Although this character no longer looks very much like a sword, it does have some resemblance to the handle of the sword. This is to our advantage, in that it helps us keep make a distinction between two primitive elements based on this kanji.

Heisig comment:

* In the form of the kanji, this primitive means a dagger. When it appears to the right of another element, it is commonly stretched out and takes the sense of a great and flashing saber, a meaning it gets from a character we shall learn later (Frame 1801).

Koohii stories:

1) [romanrozhok] 15-8-2008(134): This SWORD is so sharp, it can cut the top part of カ off in カタナ.

2) [mrcool] 22-5-2008(47): If you look really close this kanji looks like a person bending over touching the ground Waiting for someone to put there sword in his ass!

3) [saturnine13] 3-9-2009(44): Samurai carry two swords on their belt: a curved katana and a straighter, shorter wakizashi.

4) [snifty] 17-2-2009(15): Looks like the handle on a pirate cutlass, a kind of sword.

5) [fuaburisu] 6-1-2006(14): Note : this is the kanji for the famous Japanese sword, also pronounced かたな (katana). As a primitive when it is compressed on the right of a kanji, its meaning becomes "saber". In that case I like to associate the image of a ninja, making sure to keep it distinct from the "samurai". The samurai would be the historical japanese warrior, while the ninja would be the more stealthy character popularised through modern martial arts movies.

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