is  a variant of 廾, or is it another radical with another meaning?


廾 is part of kanjis like 弁 . is part of kanjis like 発. In Wikipedia 廾 is
listed to mean "2 hands" or "twenty". is the same? or does it have another
meaning?




Directly answering the question: no,「」is not a variant of「廾」, although under
some very special circumstances they may be interpreted as being related.

> is part of kanjis like 発

Ideographic description sequences may list it as such out of _organisational
convenience_ , but the fact is the bottom of「発」is just a type of shorthand for
the bottom of「發」. **「」is just a shape; don't try to interpret meaning into
it.**

Because「」is not a character consciously created with a word in mind, it has no
meaning at all, and the closest we can get is digging up definitions of things
with similar shapes.

* * *

Similar shape (1): **Variant of「九」** , as recorded in
[《字彙補》](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%97%E5%BD%99%E8%A3%9C):

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/V01rf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/V01rf.png)

This is just another way of styling「九」in regular script.「九」originally depicted
a bent arm; the meaning _nine_ is a phonetic loan. Here are some other ways of
stylising ancient forms of「九」(not necessarily in regular script):

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4eEZd.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4eEZd.png)

Similar shape (2): **Variant of「攀」** , as recorded in
[Jiyun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiyun):

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3Rqho.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3Rqho.png)

This is the official [Shuowen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)
variant, whereas「攀」is the modern form but also an older form than the Shuowen
character, and is attested in the Warring States period. In digital form, the
Shuowen character is more likely to be represented by「」. For reference, the
Shuowen form looks like

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ESIf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ESIf.png)

depicting _pulling/climbing_ , and is the _two hands_ 「廾」mentioned in the
question turned inside out:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2WZ0m.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2WZ0m.png)

_Samples of_ 「廾」 _. (Left) Oracle bone sample. (Right) Shuowen seal form._

* * *

There is only one common variant of _two hands_ 「廾」:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fhvn2.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fhvn2.png)

As a character component, these two variants literally looked like two hands
(as per the oracle bone and seal forms given above), and weren't distinguished
until much later (with no semantic difference). Some common characters with
this component:

  * 「開」, two hands opening a latched door「閂」> _open_ :

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LAJVa.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LAJVa.png)

  * 「兵」, two hands holding an axe「斤」> _weapon, soldier_ :

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xBffe.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xBffe.png)

  * 「典」, two hands holding a bunch of scrolls > _book_ :

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R94WA.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R94WA.png)

  * 「興」, **four hands** lifting a tray「凡」(later「同」) > _rise_ > _excitement, interest, pleasure_

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9I1uJ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9I1uJ.png)

  * 「弄」, two hands playing with a piece of jade「玉」> _to play around with, tamper with_

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/o8C6d.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/o8C6d.png)

* * *

Finally, _twenty_ should not be considered as an important definition for「廾」.
People may have written _twenty_ this way in some books due to the similarity
in shape of「廾」to「卄」and「廿」, but only the latter two hold the primary definition
of _twenty_.




Directly answering the question: no,「」is not a variant of「廾」, although under
some very special circumstances they may be interpreted as being related.

> is part of kanjis like 発

Ideographic description sequences may list it as such out of _organisational
convenience_ , but the fact is the bottom of「発」is just a type of shorthand for
the bottom of「發」. **「」is just a shape; don't try to interpret meaning into
it.**

Because「」is not a character consciously created with a word in mind, it has no
meaning at all, and the closest we can get is digging up definitions of things
with similar shapes.

* * *

Similar shape (1): **Variant of「九」** , as recorded in
[《字彙補》](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AD%97%E5%BD%99%E8%A3%9C):

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/V01rf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/V01rf.png)

This is just another way of styling「九」in regular script.「九」originally depicted
a bent arm; the meaning _nine_ is a phonetic loan. Here are some other ways of
stylising ancient forms of「九」(not necessarily in regular script):

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4eEZd.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4eEZd.png)

Similar shape (2): **Variant of「攀」** , as recorded in
[Jiyun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiyun):

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3Rqho.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3Rqho.png)

This is the official [Shuowen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuowen_Jiezi)
variant, whereas「攀」is the modern form but also an older form than the Shuowen
character, and is attested in the Warring States period. In digital form, the
Shuowen character is more likely to be represented by「」. For reference, the
Shuowen form looks like

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ESIf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5ESIf.png)

depicting _pulling/climbing_ , and is the _two hands_ 「廾」mentioned in the
question turned inside out:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2WZ0m.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2WZ0m.png)

_Samples of_ 「廾」 _. (Left) Oracle bone sample. (Right) Shuowen seal form._

* * *

There is only one common variant of _two hands_ 「廾」:

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fhvn2.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Fhvn2.png)

As a character component, these two variants literally looked like two hands
(as per the oracle bone and seal forms given above), and weren't distinguished
until much later (with no semantic difference). Some common characters with
this component:

  * 「開」, two hands opening a latched door「閂」> _open_ :

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LAJVa.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LAJVa.png)

  * 「兵」, two hands holding an axe「斤」> _weapon, soldier_ :

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xBffe.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xBffe.png)

  * 「典」, two hands holding a bunch of scrolls > _book_ :

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R94WA.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R94WA.png)

  * 「興」, **four hands** lifting a tray「凡」(later「同」) > _rise_ > _excitement, interest, pleasure_

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9I1uJ.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9I1uJ.png)

  * 「弄」, two hands playing with a piece of jade「玉」> _to play around with, tamper with_

[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/o8C6d.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/o8C6d.png)

* * *

Finally, _twenty_ should not be considered as an important definition for「廾」.
People may have written _twenty_ this way in some books due to the similarity
in shape of「廾」to「卄」and「廿」, but only the latter two hold the primary definition
of _twenty_.

