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wherefore

On-Yomi: ユ、ユウ、ユイ — Kun-Yomi: よし、よ.る

Elements:

wherefore, sprout, shoot

Heisig story:

The "wherefore" of this kanji explains the reason or origin of a thing. It does this graphically by depicting a seed in a rice field sending up a single sprout, which is the whole why and wherefore of the seed's falling in the earth and dying. (When the flower appears, you will recall from frame 249, we have a full seedling.)

Heisig comment:

* As a primitive, in conformity to the explanation above, this kanji will be taken to mean shoot or sprout.

Koohii stories:

1) [Katsuo] 13-11-2007(155): "Wherefore art thou, Sprouteo?" (Juliet has fallen in love with a brussel sprout) (OR: A brussel sprout has fallen from Juliet's dinner plate and rolled off).

2) [DrJones] 16-1-2008(152): "Cogito ergo sum." Wherefore is a bad choice here for two reasons. For one, it's often mistranslated as "where" when in fact it's an urge to know a cause or reason; and two, because this kanji represents the reason, not the urge. [A thought sprouts from my brain. I think, therefore I am.].

3) [radical_tyro] 4-7-2007(37): Errata: Stroke order in 4th edition is wrong. The vertical stroke is #3. (story: dingomick).

4) [dingomick] 26-4-2007(30): "Wherefore art thou Romeo?" says Juliet on her balcony as she plucks brussel sprouts instead of rose petals. (This takes on the primitive of the much more memorable BRUSSEL SPROUT).

5) [Viking101] 16-2-2010(18): Wherefore art thou, Romeo. He's in the rice field. You can see his hair sticking up above the rice. New Primitive: Romeo.

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