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THE KANJI OF THE "SPEECH RADICAL"
The previous section discussed one kanji, 読, which contains the “speech radical,” 言 (formal name: gonben.) 読 has an immediate connection with the concept of speech; and it turns out that many other kanji which contain this radical also have some relationship to language, speech, or expression. In this section, we’ll take a look at some of the major kanji which fall into this category, starting with the kanji that is simply a full-sized version of the radical.
言
ゲン、ゴン、こと、
い（う）、い（わば）
word; say
· 言い方（いいかた）way of saying
· 言葉（ことば）words; language
· 言論（げんろん）speech; expression
· 証言（しょうげん）testimony
Note: Older texts often use the kanji 云 in place of 言 when writing the verb iu 言う “to say.” Below is an example from Natsume Soseki’s famous novel, Kokoro, written in 1914. In the passage below, the novel’s main protagonist has an early encounter with the novel’s other main character, “Sensei.”
漢字Kanji in Action:
所が先生はしばらく沈吟したあとで、「どうも君の顏には見覚がありませんね。人違じゃいですか」と云ったので私は変に一種の失望を感じた。
Tokoro ga Sensei wa shibaraku chingin shita ato de, “Dōmo kimi no kao ni wa mioboe ga arimasen ne. Hito-chigai ja nai desu ka” to itta node watashi wa isshu no shitsubō o kanjita.
However, after ruminating for a while, Sensei said, “Somehow you don’t look familiar. Do you have me confused with someone else?” This caused me to feel a sort of disappointment.
More "Speech Radical" Kanji
語
ゴ、かた（る）、
かた（らう）
word; talk
· 語調（ごちょう） tone
· 語学（ごがく） linguistics
· 単語（たんご）word
Note: The right side of this character is an element that originally meant I/me. To modern students of kanji, it most resembles the number five 五 atop a mouth 口. There is a double mnemonic here: the on-yomi of 五is ゴ---the same as the above kanji; and the connection between a mouth口and the above character is obvious.
話
ワ、はな（す）、
はなし
talk; conversation
· 話題（わだい） topic; discussion
· 逸話（いつわ） anecdote
· 童話（どうわ） fairy tale
· The above kanji has two lookalike counterparts, which have a completely different range of meaning: 活、括. These are examined in the next chapter.
· The other half of this kanji is 舌, or tongue:
舌
ゼツ、した
tongue
· 猫舌（ねこじた）tongue
· 舌戦（ぜっせん） verbal warfare
* * *
説
セツ、ゼイ、と（く）
opinion; explanation
· 説教（せっきょう） sermon
· 説得（せっとく） persuasion
· 解説（かいせつ）explanation
訴
ソ、うった（える）
sue; complain
· 告訴（こくそ）accusation; charge
· 控訴院（こうそいん）court of appeal
詐
サ、いつ（わる）
lie; deceive
· 詐わる（いつわる） lie; deceive
· 詐欺（さぎ）fraud
記
キ、しる（す）
write/note
· 記事（きじ）article/report
· 前記（ぜんき）the above-mentioned
· 後記（こうき）postscript
許
キョ、ゆる（す）、
もと
permit; allow
· 許可（きょか） permission
· 許す（ゆるす） to permit; to forgive
· 特許（とっきょ） patent
Note: The right component of this kanji is the Chinese character for noon. (wŭ午in Mandarin, go 午 in Japanese). This gives us a basis for a mnemonic: I tell言of my permission 許at noon.)
評
ヒョウ
criticism; comment
· 評価（ひょうか）appraisal
· 評判（ひょうばん）reputation
· 自評（じひょう）self-criticism
Note: Here’s a mnemonic for the above kanji. You’ll note that the right portion of this character is 平(flat, level). This is one of the characters that forms the word kōhei 公平(“fair”); so—I will be fair平 when speaking 言critically 評.
詞
シ、こたば
words
· 名詞（めいし） noun
· 副詞（ふくし） adverb
· 代名詞（だいめいし） pronoun
詠
エイ、よ（む）
poem; song
· 詠む（よむ） compose; write a poem
· 朗詠（ろうえい） recite
· 吟詠（ぎんえい） sing; recite
詩
シ
poem
· 詩人（しじん） poet
· 詩集（ししゅう）a collection of poems
詔
ショウ、みことのり
imperial edict
· 詔書（しょうしょ） imperial rescript
· 詔勅（しょうちょく）imperial proclamation
談
ダン
conversation
· 相談（そうだん）consultation
· 雑談（ざつだん）chitchat
· 縁談（えんだん）marriage proposal
該
ガイ
the said
· 該案（がいあん）the said proposal
· 該当（がいとう） pertain to
· 該当者（がいとうしゃ）the said person