Sea of Tangut Characters @TangutSea
Tweet 1252582046343536641
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 at 12:56
๐ฒ [ยนtshwuโ] 'fat (not thin)' is constructed from the bottom left of ๐ณ [ยนnaโ] 'fat (not thin)', and the right side of ๐ [ยนvyโ] 'fat (grease)' {๐ณ๐ก๐๐กผ} babelstone.co.uk/Tangut/WenhaiLโฆ
Sea of Tangut Characters @TangutSea
Tweet 1252584491610255361 (reply to 1252582046343536641)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 at 13:06
This is a double semantic derivation, but like many (or perhaps most) character constructions given in the Sea of Writing, the derivation is not convincing. Why would the left side of ๐ฒ derive from the bottom of ๐ณ, when it seems obvious that the bottom of ๐ณ derives from ๐ฒ?
Sea of Tangut Characters @TangutSea
Tweet 1252584997535592454 (reply to 1252584491610255361)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 at 13:08
As we will see, very many character constructions given in the Sea of Writing are circular (part of X derives from part of Y, but the same part of Y derives from the same part of X).
Sea of Tangut Characters @TangutSea
Tweet 1252585184098205698 (reply to 1252584997535592454)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 at 13:09
We should not accept the Sea of Writing derivations uncritically, but we would be foolish to dismiss out of hand the character analysis of native Tangut lexicographers when our own understanding of so many aspects of the Tangut script and language is so deficient!
Sea of Tangut Characters @TangutSea
Tweet 1252590258019094528 (reply to 1252585184098205698)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 at 13:29
Actually, the left side component of ๐ฒ (๐ฅ) occurs mostly in characters related to horses, so a more plausible derivation for the character might be: left side of 'horse' (๐ [ยนrerโ] or ๐ฝ [ยนgeโ] or ๐ญ [ยฒliqโ]) and right side of ๐ [ยนvyโ] 'fat (grease)'.
Sea of Tangut Characters @TangutSea
Tweet 1252601873930092544 (reply to 1252590258019094528)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 at 14:15
The Sea of Writing derivation of the left side of ๐ฒ from the bottom of ๐ณ is probably a reflection of the two-character word ๐ฒ๐ณ [ยนtshwuโ ยนnaโ] 'fat (not thin)' listed in Mixed Characters ใ๐๐ ใ and Homophones ใ๐๐ฐใ (babelstone.co.uk/Tangut/Tongyinโฆ)
Sea of Tangut Characters @TangutSea
Tweet 1252605342720110593 (reply to 1252601873930092544)
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 at 14:29
We can see the word ๐ฒ๐ณ [ยนtshwuโ ยนnaโ] 'fat (not thin)' and its equine associations in this entry from the Tangut Proverbs ใ๐ฅ๐ฟใ (apologies for my poor translation):
๐๐ญ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ดบ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ
The mother of a fat domestic horse; inside the belly [the foal] is not so fat.
