201. The "Yellow" Radical: 黄
See how long you can contemplate the "yellow" radical 黄 without hearing Coldplay's "Yellow" reverberating in your head!
This radical is on duty in just one Joyo kanji:
黄 (120: yellow)
Just as that kanji has the Joyo kun-yomi き, the Japanese call the identical-looking radical き. An alternative name is きいろ, corresponding to the term 黄色 (yellow).
The 黄 shape serves as a mere component in 横 (235: side; across; dictatorial).
The Parent and Variant Shapes
The original shape of the 11-stroke 黄 was 黃, which also has 11 strokes and has since become the variant of the character and radical. This variant pops up in some non-Joyo kanji, such as 黌 (school). Enlarging that 25-stroke monstrosity should help:
黌
I love how, despite all that's going on in this busy shape, it's perfectly symmetrical. Beneath the 冖 we can see the four-stroke shape that differentiates the variant from the Joyo radical. Here's what I mean:
黄 黃
Parent Variant
Photo Credit: Eve Kushner
Etymologies
How does one represent yellow (or any other color) graphically? It's not easy! Here's what Henshall says in his newer edition about the etymology of 黄:
黄 (120: yellow)
Early forms "seem to depict a flaming arrow with what is probably a counterweight." Other primitive shapes show a standing person "wearing what is taken to be a jeweled belt." The color of that arrow or belt was used by extension to represent "yellow."
As for 横, there's nothing yellow about it etymologically. This again comes from Henshall:
横 (235: side; across; dictatorial)
The character combines 木 (tree) with 黄, the latter phonetically conveying the associated sense "stop, obstruct." Originally, 横 represented a "horizontal door bolt," by extension coming to mean "crossways, side."
Is that Coldplay song stuck in your mind? You're welcome!
Photo Credit: Russell Hogg