Misfits at the Same Table
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
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You know that wedding reception table where the bride and groom seat misfits who don’t belong at any other table? Well, that oddball table is ours today! We’ll feast on a smorgasbord of random, cool things pertaining to 中.
Speaking of seating, we encountered two seat-related compounds in the last blog:
中座 (chūza: leaving before an event (e.g., a meeting) is over)
in the middle + gathering
座中 (zachū: in the room, gathering, theatrical troupe)
gathering + in the middle
My definition of 座 as “gathering” may have seemed strange to you; 座 (ZA, suwa(ru)) more commonly means “seat” or “to sit.” Actually, the kanji 席 (SEKI) also means “seat.” And as it happens, both characters combine with 中 in compounds. If 中座 and 座中 refer to leaving or staying in rooms, what could 中席 mean? You’ll find out if you take a quick quiz!
Can You Be More Specific?
The compound 中席 is one of several 中 words with crazy specificity:
車中談 (shachūdan: informal talk given aboard a train (as by a politician)) car + inside + to discuss
中農 (chūnō: middle-class farmer) middle + farm
中腰 (chūgoshi: half-sitting, half-standing posture) middle + loins
This reminds me of the “fierce pose” or “chair pose” in yoga.
暑中見舞い (shochū-mimai: routine inquiry about (someone’s) health in the hot season) hot + during + inquiry (last 2 chars.,
which break down as to see + to dance)
Posted by Eve Kushner in Kanji Curiosity | 10 Comments »
