1.c. 循環系 (junkankei: sequential + circle + system) means “circulatory system (e.g., blood, lymph).”
2.a. 環状線 (kanjōsen: circle + form + line) means “loop line (transportation).” For instance, the circular Yamanote Line in Tokyo is a 環状線.
3.b. 金環食 (kinkanshoku: gold + ring + to eat) means “total eclipse of the sun.”
OK, my breakdown was a little unfair, because I didn’t want to make it too easy. I love eclipse-related compounds such as 月食 (gesshoku: lunar eclipse) and 日食 (nisshoku: solar eclipse), because they break down in the most charming of ways: moon + to eat and sun + to eat, respectively. As these celestial bodies disappear during eclipses, it looks as if they’re being eaten! But … Halpern says 食 has evolved to have the meaning of “eclipse.” I wish that weren’t true, because that takes some of the charm out of it!
A few more notes:
• We saw that the following compounds have the same meaning:
金環 (kinkan: corona) gold + ring
光環 (kōkan: corona) light + ringNow, let’s take 光環 and remove 環, replacing it with 輪, another kanji that means “ring.” We get this:
光輪 (kōrin: halo) light + ring
Yes, a very different type of gold ring!
• What if we take 金環 (kinkan: corona, gold + ring) and again replace 環 with 輪? Here’s what happens:金輪 (kanawa: metal hoop, band) gold + ring
Suddenly 輪 is everywhere! Well, we’ll see a whole lot more of it next week, as these two rings (輪 and 環) seem interlinked!
