The origin of the kanji for umbrella
The kanji character for "umbrella" is something we use every day without even thinking about it. If you look closely, you'll see that it has four kanji characters for "person" inside it. Some people might think that umbrellas used to be pretty big, since they could fit four people inside. However, that's incorrect. This does not represent four people.
So what exactly is it? Before we answer that question, let's trace the origins of the kanji for umbrella a little. In China, where it originated, it seems that the kanji "繖" (繖) was originally used, rather than "umbrella." It was in use until the Later Han Dynasty (25-220), which is more than 1,800 years ago. It is a perfect kanji, as it depicts an umbrella made of woven cloth that protects against falling rain by "scattering" it. By the way, the on-reading is "san," the same as "scatter." The on-reading of "umbrella" is "san," which comes from an old character.
There is also a theory that raindrops flow!
Later, during the Six Dynasties period (229-589) that followed the Later Han dynasty, it is said that "umbrella" came to be used as a common character. With "人" (person) likening it to fabric and "十" (ten) likening it to a central pole, it is a pictograph that can be easily identified as an umbrella. However, this raises the question of what the four "人" (person) characters in the middle are.
In fact, there are various theories about this. For example, one theory is that it represents raindrops running down the fabric. It looks like streaks of water, and this seems to make sense. Another theory is that it represents the pattern on an umbrella, or wrinkles in the fabric. Now that you mention it, it's possible to see it that way. All of these interpretations are based on the outside of an umbrella held up on a rainy day.
The most likely theory is the "umbrella bone theory"
And there is another theory. That is, it represents the "ribs of an umbrella." Look at the inside of your own umbrella. You will see two parts: the "ribs" where the umbrella fabric is stretched, and the "supports" that support the ribs by bracing them against the center pole. Don't you think that the structure of the ribs and supports is beautifully expressed using four kanji characters for "person"? Of the various theories, the "umbrella rib theory" is the most likely because, as a pictograph, it is convincing that it represents the structure of the umbrella itself.
☞The new saying is "Choose an umbrella by its ribs"! ~ The surprising relationship between the kanji for umbrella and its ribs (Part 2)
