KANJI: BUN FUN BU (divide, minute, understand)

ASCII Art Representation:

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Character Etymology:

The top-most part of this character represents split while the bottom radical represents sword/cut, giving a meaning of cut and split and hence to divide. This lead to numerous other associated meanings, such as fraction, minute (now of time, but originally meaning small portion in similar fashion to the English term), and understand (as in something which is able to be divided/broken down).

A Listing of All On-Yomi and Kun-Yomi Readings:

on-yomi: BUN FUN BU
kun-yomi: wa(keru) wa(ke) wa(kareru) wa(karu) wa(katsu) ita wake

Nanori Readings:

Nanori: ita wake

English Definitions:

1. BUN: dividing part, segment; share; ration; rate; degree; one's status; relation; duty; kind, lot.
2. FUN: a minute of time; one sixteenth of a degree; one-tenth of a momme.
3. BU: rate, part, percentage; one-percent; thickness; odds; one-tenth of a shaku; one quarter of a ryou.
4. wa(karu): understand, comprehend; know; appreciate; be announced; recognize.
5. wa(keru): divide, split, separate; isolate; distribute; distinguish; spare.
6. wa(katsu): divide, separate; share with.
7. wa(kazu): without differentiation.
8. wa(kare): branch, fork; division, section; farewell.
9. wa(kareru)(: branch off, diverge from, fork; split; be divided; part with; be divorced; bid farewell; break up, disperse, scatter.
10. wa(kari): understanding, comprehension.
11. wa(ke): sharing, division; draw, tie.
12. wa(kachi): distinction, differentiation, discrimination.
13. bun-: branch, detached.

Character Index Numbers:

New Nelson: 454
Henshall: 199

Unicode Encoded Version:

分

Unicode Encoded Compound Examples:

分子 (bunshi): molecule.
一分 (ippun): one minute.
一分 (ichibu): one tenth (confusing!)
分室 (bun'shitsu): detached room.

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