Here shows the shape of each base and explains the relation between
the shape and its image.
The plan was made based on the following three kinds of clues:
In the following descriptions,1) Related to already universal simple symbols,
as .
These bases are arranged the shapes and the images from the original symbols to suit to EL usages.
2) Picture-like characters,
as (water), (plant), (container), (cover), (sheet/surface),
(circle/round), (line), (dot), (space), (wave) etc.
You’ll see more with the explanation for each bases below.
3) Related to pointing arrow-heads or natural hand-signs:
(above), (below), (in: pointing inward in front of the shoulder),
(out: point outward in front of the shoulder, (front: pointing forward), (behind: pointing backward ).
Since EL writing goes from the left to the right,
(heading direction/go),
(original direction/return),
also by the same idea on time flowing,
relates to the past image and
relates to the future image, too.
Like these, each of some bases has plural images,
and those are distinguished by forming base overlays with other characters.*In case plural bases form a picture-like fundamental ideogram,
the images of the element bases might not relate to each original meaning,
just working as the part of the picture.
Fundamental ideograms works like bases, too.
Only 70 basic images are not enough for the root meanings,
so you need to memorize fundamental ideograms as well as the bases.
Once you’ve learned, the ideograms as each simplified picture help you to remember what they mean.
base-overlay-ideograms . Fundamental
Characters . To the top
(c)1997 Yoshiko McFarland