Checking the Void: Part 3 of 3
Saturday, June 23rd, 2007
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You’ve likely heard of “voiding the check.” Well, today we’ll be doing the inverse—checking the void. That is, we’ll look at more ways in which 空 conveys a sense of emptiness … or even a yawning void!
A Mind Is a
Terrible Thing to Empty
Empty the mind, empty the mind. That’s supposed to be the goal of meditation. But what if people really were empty? That wouldn’t be optimal, according to this compound:
空け者 (utsukemono: fool, idiot, dunce) empty + person
On Options for
Insulting Someone …
When 空 has the kun-yomi utsuke, it means “empty-headed” or even “dumb”! Here’s that yomi as a verb:
空ける (utsukeru)
This word has two meanings:
1. to become empty or hollow
2. to relax from a tense situation into a vacant or absent-minded state
I knew bad things were bound to happen with relaxation. That’s why I’ve never tried it!
Seemingly, another compound also refers to emptying the self:
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Posted by Eve Kushner in Kanji Curiosity | 3 Comments »
