Discussion on the Parent-word and Characters Used of the Chinese Classifier “Ke(顆)”
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There are universal misreads on the generation and parent-word of the classifier “Ke(顆)” in Chinese. We hold that the Classifier “Ke(顆)” born in the period between Qin and Han dynasties, its parent-word should be the word Guo(果)。The word Guo(果) figured fruit, expands to a measuring unit of small round thing. People start borrowing the Chinese character “Ke(顆)” to record the Classifier “Ke(顆).” Under the influence of Chu dialect, people borrowed the Chinese character “Ke(顆 )” to share responsibility for the Chinese character “Kuai(塊)” in the Han &Wei six dynasties.