The characters left and right （左 右）

[Quest]

I found the following comment in a japan-guide.com forum. We've heard people tried to use words like 船 to justify the validity of the bible stories. Now, there are science minded people that try to add more sophistication to the Chinese script. What do you think?

Do you know why LEFT & RIGHT writting in Kanji as "work" & "mouth" (meaning in Chinese)at the bottom of the kanji?

It is untill 1981 (Nobel price winner Mr. R.W.Sperry from USA California) pointed out the function of our "left & right" brain. But actually the "meaning" & the"function" of our brain is already been stated clearly by our ancient human from China.

Dont believe?please see this :-

(bottom of the "left" word is "Work"at the bottom of 'left' word in Kanji) it means "Tactic". (art,music...by "direct feeling deep in mind to make decision)

While the "right" word is "mouth" in kanji..at the bottom of "right" word.it mean language (logic,language...--by logical thinking way to make decision)

Left Brain(which control the right hand)= logical way of thinking ("Left" word in kanji ..at the bottom is "Work"--refer the above illustration)

Right brain(which control the left hand) = direct deep feeling way of thinking(*the un-explored powerful part of the brain..) ("Right" word in kanji...at the bottom is "mouth" at the bottom.

"Left brain hold 'mouth', right brain hold 'work' --- Ancient thinking already mentioned about it 2000++ years ago..in Chinese Kanji.

[林彪]

I think he's overanalyzing it.

My personal theory is that the left hand was used to do work (possibly clean after a bowel movement?), while the right hand was used to feed the mouth.

[yonglan]

ちょっと変ね？

[Nina]

Here's a little history about "right" and "left" in ancient China:

The left hand assists the right hand in doing 工 work.

 The right hand is used to put food in 口 the mouth (to eat.)

Since most people are right-handed, the right hand was used to eat with. The right hand (or side) was considered to have more power and the left hand (or side) was used to assist the right hand. It was the custom for the man to walk on the right and the woman to walk on the left.

The distinction between the left side and the right side in Ancient China can be confusing. 

"This is bound up with Chinese cosmology and its system of directions. Traditionally, the Emperor, as ruler of mankind, had his face turned towards the South when he received ambassadors and homage. The East where the sun rises, was then on his left, and the West where the sun sets, on his right. The left is the place of princes hence it is the more honored side, as the East is the more auspicious direction. Among the minority peoples it is believed that the ruler's eye is turned towards the East to greet the rising sun. This makes the South (on the right) the region of greater power, and the North (on the left) the region of weaker forces.
"...in ancient times, the Emperor's right-hand minister was superior in rank to the left-hand one; but from the 3rd century BC onwards, all officials on the left-hand side were higher in rank than those on the right." -Eberhard

There was a belief in many primitive cultures that a left-handed person was possessed by evil spirits.


---------------

Quest- I think those "science-minded people" have done no research.

-Nina

[Nina]

Oops! Let me try that again. :-)

The left hand assists the right hand in doing 工 work.



The right hand is used to put food in 口 the mouth (to eat.)



Since most people are right-handed, the right hand was used to eat with. The right hand (or side) was considered to have more power and the left hand (or side) was used to assist the right hand. It was the custom for the man to walk on the right and the woman to walk on the left.



The distinction between the left side and the right side in Ancient China can be confusing.



"This is bound up with Chinese cosmology and its system of directions. Traditionally, the Emperor, as ruler of mankind, had his face turned towards the South when he received ambassadors and homage. The East where the sun rises, was then on his left, and the West where the sun sets, on his right. The left is the place of princes hence it is the more honored side, as the East is the more auspicious direction. Among the minority peoples it is believed that the ruler's eye is turned towards the East to greet the rising sun. This makes the South (on the right) the region of greater power, and the North (on the left) the region of weaker forces.
"...in ancient times, the Emperor's right-hand minister was superior in rank to the left-hand one; but from the 3rd century BC onwards, all officials on the left-hand side were higher in rank than those on the right." -Eberhard





There was a belief in many primitive cultures that a left-handed person was possessed by evil spirits.




Quest- I think those "science-minded people" have done no research.

-Nina