[UKH-答] | ultimateKOREAN

答

대답

답

부수: 竹
획수: 12획

答 has the meanings to answer and to reciprocate.

答 = 𥫗 + 合

X = semantic/phonetic borrowing + semantic/phonetic

• 𥫗 is a distortion of 艹 which depicts vegetation and is used to represent ‘beans’. Through a sound loan, it gets the meaning ‘to answer’ (the same meaning as 合).
• 合 depicts a mouth from above speaking downwards to a mouth below. This originally had the meaning ‘to answer’.

Evolution:
答 = a small bean ➔ borrowed use ➔ to answer ➔ to reciprocate

合 = 亼 + 口

• 亼 depicts a mouth speaking downwards from above.
• 口 depicts a mouth.

Mnemonic

See 合 as two mouths facing each other (one from the top-down and the other from the bottom-up). Imagine one mouth is asking a question and the other is answering.

Alternatively, understand that 合 can mean ‘join’ or ‘fit together’. Imagine a hut built together 合 from bamboo shoots with a thatched roof on top 𥫗.

Vocab

to answer
對하다	대하다	to answer; to reply
對答	대답	answer; reply
答辯	답변	answer; reply
答狀	답장	written reply
答信	답신	reply; answer
答辭	답사	acceptance speech
正答	정답	correct answer
誤答	오답	incorrect answer
問答	문답	question and answer
口答	구답	verbal answer
確答	확답	definite answer
應答	응답	response; answer
解答	해답	answer; solution
回答	회답	formal reply
答案紙	답안지	answer sheet; answer paper
to reciprocate
報答	보답	requital
答禮品	답례품	gift given in return

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