Sinograph Addenda · Signs

mutual

Namemutual
Readsxiāng [xiàng]
Meansmutually, each other; to inspect
Taught in05 · The belonging thread

Where it comes from

An eye examining a tree — the stated account hears the forester sizing up timber. The appraising look became the classical adverb of reciprocity: before a verb makes it run both ways. Read xiàng, the same graph names the minister who inspects for the throne. Taught in the belonging-thread chapter.

How to remember it

Eye meets tree, look meets look: mutual.

In the wild

Laozi 2. urn:nabu:kanripo:KR5c0057:002:1a · license: attribution.