We saw two weeks back that 密 has three disparate meanings:

1) Close, dense, thick, compact, tight
2) Minuteness, carefulness
3) Secret, private, illegal, stealthy

Thus far, we’ve only explored meaning #3.

As I’ve said, it’s odd that these meanings appear to be so far apart. But are they really? Maybe not. Let’s look at some takes on secrecy:

He’s obviously linking secrecy (meaning #3) with closeness, density, compactness (meaning #1). OK, let’s try another:

This Walpole fellow clearly linked secrecy (meaning #3) with careful, highly detailed exploration (meaning #2). And I’m pretty sure that this quote espouses a deep love of kanji, while also advocating general curiosity. So … kanji curiosity is a good thing, right?

Let’s hear words of wisdom from one more source:

Oh, dear. Why do I have a terrible feeling that this, too, refers to Kanji Curiosity?

OK, without further ado, let’s look at meanings #1 and #2.

1. Being Dense

Here are some examples of 密 as “dense”:

密林 (mitsurin: dense forest, jungle)     dense + forest

Not much to say about this word, except that I like its straightforward logic!

過密 (kamitsu: overcrowded)     to exceed + dense

Seems like a useful word to know, as in this phrase:

過密都市 (kamitsu toshi: overcrowded city)
     to exceed + dense + metropolis + city

濃密 (nōmitsu: thick; rich (as in taste or content); crowded)
     thick + density

It seems strange that 濃密 could refer at once to something thick in texture, something rich in taste or in meaning, and a tight cluster of buildings. Maybe some sample phrases will give a sense of that adaptability.

Sample Sentences with 濃密 …

Curiously, Halpern sees “intimacy” as a type of “density”! I’m not sure I follow the logic, but here’s a word in which 密 means “close, intimate”:

親密 (shinmitsu: intimacy, friendship)     intimate + intimate

Sounds like 親密 is all about love and good feelings, no? No. See the second sentence at the next link for yet another reminder that politics and money, not love, make the world go round.

Sample Sentences with 親密 …

2. Being Highly Detailed

With Voltaire’s words still ringing in my ears, I won’t be too detailed in discussing the following compounds, which speak for themselves:

細密 (saimitsu: detailed knowledge; finely detailed)
     narrow, slender + detailed

You may know the first kanji by its kun-yomi of hoso(i).

詳密 (shōmitsu: minute; detailed; elaborate)     detailed + detailed

You may know the first kanji by its kun-yomi, kuwa(shii).

A Great Rhyming Term …

精密 (seimitsu: precise; exact; detailed; minute; close)
     refined + detailed

Oh, dear. The first kanji here also has the kun-yomi of kuwa(shii), but that’s an extremely rare reading.

In my opinion, here’s the best compound of the day:

周到綿密 (shūtōmenmitsu: extremely complete (thorough, careful) and detailed)     scrupulous, meticulous, careful (1st 2 chars.) + detailed, scrupulous, thorough (last 2 chars.)

To be completely thorough (because, let’s face it, Voltaire died a few centuries back, and why should I feel hamstrung by his snide comment?), here’s the full breakdown of 周到綿密:

to go round + to reach the limit of + cotton + detailed

I don’t know what “cotton” is doing here, but I like the rest of the breakdown. It gives me the image of walking the periphery of a space (a cotton field?), going to the limit with a detailed investigation.

Where Have I Seen These Kanji Before? …

In another nod to thoroughness, I should mention that you can flip around this compound and find essentially the same meaning:

綿密周到 (menmitsushūtō: detailed and careful, scrupulous, meticulous, elaborate)

As a Virgo and a Type A, I really like these words. And if you’ve hung in here this long, I’m guessing that you, too, like thorough, detailed explorations. (Either that, or you’re about to release some pent-up frustration in my direction!) Well, perhaps I can appease you with two Verbal Logic Quizzes!

Verbal Logic Quizzes …