長
← →
long
On-Yomi: チョウ — Kun-Yomi: なが.い、おさ
Elements:
long, hair, hairpin, safety-pin
Primitive:
hairpin Here we have a quasi-pictograph of the colorful and decorated clips used to bind up long hair. Note its similarity to the scarf, which differs only by the addition of one stroke. [4]
Heisig story:
In line with the story of the preceding frame, the hair that needs the hairpin is long.
Heisig comment:
* The primitive of this kanji has two more shapes in addition to that of the kanji itself. Above its relative primitive, it is abbreviated form will mean hair. Further abbreviated, it will mean the long, mangy mane of an animal.
Koohii stories:
1) [Zactacular] 7-10-2007(152): The Geisha with long hair uses an ornate lacquered hairpin to bundle it all up.
2) [Shibo] 22-6-2008(74): The top of this one reminds me of the staple primitive. So here's my story: The girl's hair was so long that she had to use staples instead of hairpins. It worked, but stapling her hair to her head was kinda painful.
3) [fuaburisu] 5-1-2006(25): As a primitive I use the image of (very) long hair. Let this kanji represent a "Swiss Hairpin" (similar to a Swiss army knife) : the top part being a pictogram for half a comb, and the lower part being the hairpin. Just make sure not to confuse with the kanji for "comb". Think of this one as a "half a comb" that can be pulled from the "Swiss Hairpin".
4) [romanrozhok] 12-3-2008(14): HAIRPIN: This is rather similar to that for SCARF. Both a HAIRPIN and a SCARF can be used for holding back long hair. STORY: The first 4 strokes could be a pictograph of hair blowing in the wind. It's too LONG and getting in your way, so you pin it back.
5) [koohiikun] 30-11-2009(8): The long haired Geisha staples on an ornate hairpin so it won't slip. (Thanks to Zactacular for the idea.).