What's the leg doing in 足りる and 足す?


I know this isn't important, but I am curious about the connection between 足りる
(be sufficient), 足す (add) and 足 (leg). Is there any meaning to the common
kanji usage? I can see the connection between the first two, but I don't quite
understand how they connect to "leg".




This is a relic of the Chinese writing system, which some time in the past
used the character 「足」 to mean _sufficient, enough_. From
《上{{kr:海}}博物館藏戰國楚竹書・䊷衣》簡11 ( _[Shanghai Museum Chu Bamboo
Slips](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Museum_bamboo_slips)_ , section
[_Black Robes_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zisi), Slip #11:

[![《上海博物館藏戰國楚竹書・䊷衣》簡11](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2KcwB.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2KcwB.png)

> 子曰大臣（之）㔻（不）⿱目辛（親）（也）則（忠）敬㔻（不）`（足）`而⿱富貝（富）⿱貞貝（貴）(已）⿺辶化（過）
>
> _The Master said: If the ministers are not close to their monarch, then
> [their loyalty to him] and [his respect for them] will be not`sufficient`,
> yet their wealth and rank will be excessive._

_Leg_ and _sufficient/enough_ are not really related concepts, so as far as we
know, 「足」 is just a loan character for the meaning _enough_.

* * *

There are some suggestions that 「足」 got its meaning from a misreading of 「正」,
with the two characters looking extremely similar*** during a lengthy period
in the middle of the [Zhōu
Dynasty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_dynasty). The evidence surrounding
this interpretation is circumstantial (i.e. don't put too much weight on it),
and usually comes from a reading of 「正」 as _just right_ :

> 《論語・述而》
>
> 子曰：「若聖與仁，則吾豈敢？抑為之不厭，誨人不倦，則可謂云爾已矣。」公西華曰：「`正`唯弟子不能學也。」
>
> [_The Analects_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analects), _Shu Er_
>
> _The Master said, "The sage and the man of perfect virtue - how dare I rank
> myself with them? That I strive to become such without satiety, and teach
> others without weariness - this much can be said of me." Gong Xi Hua said,
> "This `is just` what we, the disciples, cannot imitate you in."_
>
> Translation by [James Legge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Legge),
> source: [https://ctext.org/analects/shu-
> er?searchu=”公西華曰：“正唯弟子不能學也。](https://ctext.org/analects/shu-
> er?searchu=%E2%80%9D%E5%85%AC%E8%A5%BF%E8%8F%AF%E6%9B%B0%EF%BC%9A%E2%80%9C%E6%AD%A3%E5%94%AF%E5%BC%9F%E5%AD%90%E4%B8%8D%E8%83%BD%E5%AD%B8%E4%B9%9F%E3%80%82)

* * *

***Glyph origins of 「足」 and 「正」:

  * [「足」 originally depicted](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=703) an _entire leg_ , complete with buttocks and the [_foot_ 「止」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=141) drawn sideways. By the [Western Zhōu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou) period, the legs and buttocks were reduced to an enclosed circle or square, and 「止」 was turned upright.

`[商](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty)  
[甲](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Jdl3j.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Jdl3j.png)  
[甲](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)2878  
[合集21475](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=21475&jgwfl=)``商  
[金](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vEXBw.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vEXBw.png)  
足作父丙鼎  
[集成2118](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2118&jgwfl=)``[西周](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou)  
金  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1jBBd.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1jBBd.png)  
免簋  
[集成4240](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4240&jgwfl=)`

    * `[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty)  
[簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cl4cH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cl4cH.png)  
10.2  
[睡虎地秦簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts)``[東漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han)  
[隸](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wlPzf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wlPzf.png)  
魯峻碑  
``  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/knwng.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/knwng.png)  
  
`

    * `[戰國](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period)・[楚](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_\(state\))  
簡  
[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VZ1xf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VZ1xf.png)  
112  
[包山楚簡](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8C%85%E5%B1%B1%E6%A5%9A%E7%B0%A1)``  
[隸定](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9A%B6%E5%AE%9A)  
[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bBWnG.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bBWnG.png)  
  
`

  * 「正」 ( _military expedition_ , now written as [「征」]{しょう・せい}, [Baxter–Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_\(2014\)): **/*teŋ/** ) [was originally](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=251) a compound of

    * doubly semantic and phonetic [「丁・囗」 ( _picture of walls surrounding a settlement_](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=3), now written as [「城」]{じょう・せい}, **/*[d]eŋ/** )
    * semantic 「止」 ( _picture of a foot_ )

inferring the meaning _marching soldiers towards a fortified settlement_ >
_military expedition_ (now written as 「征」) > _to govern_ (now written as 「政」)
> _right, proper_. Over time, 「囗」 was reduced to a straight horizontal line
「一」.

`商  
甲  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xS0Q5.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xS0Q5.png)  
[甲](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)193  
[合集22336](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=22336&jgwfl=)``西周  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VGgnt.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VGgnt.png)  
[大盂鼎](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Yu_ding)  
[集成2837](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2837&jgwfl=)``西周  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0UCRH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0UCRH.png)  
御正衛簋  
[集成4044](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4044&jgwfl=)``西周  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w9StD.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w9StD.png)  
無㠱簋  
[集成4225](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4225&jgwfl=)``[春秋](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period)  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Uv9W.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Uv9W.png)  
中子化盤  
[集成10137](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=10137&jgwfl=)``秦  
簡  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xqL1E.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xqL1E.png)  
23.3  
睡虎地秦簡``[西漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han)  
隸  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/apPQt.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/apPQt.png)  
[孫臏](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Bin%27s_Art_of_War)37  
[銀雀山漢簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinqueshan_Han_Slips)``  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Vtcf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Vtcf.png)  
  
`

* * *

**References:**

  * [漢語多功能字庫](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/)
  * 《王力古漢語字典》
  * [小學堂](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
    * [異體字表](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/variants)
    * [字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
  * [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
    * [郭沫若《甲骨文合集》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/)
    * [中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/)




This is a relic of the Chinese writing system, which some time in the past
used the character 「足」 to mean _sufficient, enough_. From
《上{{kr:海}}博物館藏戰國楚竹書・䊷衣》簡11 ( _[Shanghai Museum Chu Bamboo
Slips](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Museum_bamboo_slips)_ , section
[_Black Robes_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zisi), Slip #11:

[![《上海博物館藏戰國楚竹書・䊷衣》簡11](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2KcwB.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2KcwB.png)

> 子曰大臣（之）㔻（不）⿱目辛（親）（也）則（忠）敬㔻（不）`（足）`而⿱富貝（富）⿱貞貝（貴）(已）⿺辶化（過）
>
> _The Master said: If the ministers are not close to their monarch, then
> [their loyalty to him] and [his respect for them] will be not`sufficient`,
> yet their wealth and rank will be excessive._

_Leg_ and _sufficient/enough_ are not really related concepts, so as far as we
know, 「足」 is just a loan character for the meaning _enough_.

* * *

There are some suggestions that 「足」 got its meaning from a misreading of 「正」,
with the two characters looking extremely similar*** during a lengthy period
in the middle of the [Zhōu
Dynasty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_dynasty). The evidence surrounding
this interpretation is circumstantial (i.e. don't put too much weight on it),
and usually comes from a reading of 「正」 as _just right_ :

> 《論語・述而》
>
> 子曰：「若聖與仁，則吾豈敢？抑為之不厭，誨人不倦，則可謂云爾已矣。」公西華曰：「`正`唯弟子不能學也。」
>
> [_The Analects_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analects), _Shu Er_
>
> _The Master said, "The sage and the man of perfect virtue - how dare I rank
> myself with them? That I strive to become such without satiety, and teach
> others without weariness - this much can be said of me." Gong Xi Hua said,
> "This `is just` what we, the disciples, cannot imitate you in."_
>
> Translation by [James Legge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Legge),
> source: [https://ctext.org/analects/shu-
> er?searchu=”公西華曰：“正唯弟子不能學也。](https://ctext.org/analects/shu-
> er?searchu=%E2%80%9D%E5%85%AC%E8%A5%BF%E8%8F%AF%E6%9B%B0%EF%BC%9A%E2%80%9C%E6%AD%A3%E5%94%AF%E5%BC%9F%E5%AD%90%E4%B8%8D%E8%83%BD%E5%AD%B8%E4%B9%9F%E3%80%82)

* * *

***Glyph origins of 「足」 and 「正」:

  * [「足」 originally depicted](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=703) an _entire leg_ , complete with buttocks and the [_foot_ 「止」](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=141) drawn sideways. By the [Western Zhōu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou) period, the legs and buttocks were reduced to an enclosed circle or square, and 「止」 was turned upright.

`[商](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shang_dynasty)  
[甲](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone_script)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Jdl3j.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Jdl3j.png)  
[甲](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)2878  
[合集21475](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=21475&jgwfl=)``商  
[金](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_bronze_inscriptions)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vEXBw.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vEXBw.png)  
足作父丙鼎  
[集成2118](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2118&jgwfl=)``[西周](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Zhou)  
金  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1jBBd.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1jBBd.png)  
免簋  
[集成4240](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4240&jgwfl=)`

    * `[秦](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_dynasty)  
[簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_and_wooden_slips)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cl4cH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cl4cH.png)  
10.2  
[睡虎地秦簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuihudi_Qin_bamboo_texts)``[東漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Eastern_Han)  
[隸](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clerical_script)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wlPzf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wlPzf.png)  
魯峻碑  
``  
[楷](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_script)  
[![足](https://i.stack.imgur.com/knwng.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/knwng.png)  
  
`

    * `[戰國](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period)・[楚](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_\(state\))  
簡  
[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VZ1xf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VZ1xf.png)  
112  
[包山楚簡](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8C%85%E5%B1%B1%E6%A5%9A%E7%B0%A1)``  
[隸定](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9A%B6%E5%AE%9A)  
[![](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bBWnG.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bBWnG.png)  
  
`

  * 「正」 ( _military expedition_ , now written as [「征」]{しょう・せい}, [Baxter–Sagart OC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstructions_of_Old_Chinese#Baxter%E2%80%93Sagart_\(2014\)): **/*teŋ/** ) [was originally](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=251) a compound of

    * doubly semantic and phonetic [「丁・囗」 ( _picture of walls surrounding a settlement_](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian?kaiOrder=3), now written as [「城」]{じょう・せい}, **/*[d]eŋ/** )
    * semantic 「止」 ( _picture of a foot_ )

inferring the meaning _marching soldiers towards a fortified settlement_ >
_military expedition_ (now written as 「征」) > _to govern_ (now written as 「政」)
> _right, proper_. Over time, 「囗」 was reduced to a straight horizontal line
「一」.

`商  
甲  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xS0Q5.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xS0Q5.png)  
[甲](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian/Reference/JiaguwenReference)193  
[合集22336](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/?bhfl=1&bh=22336&jgwfl=)``西周  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VGgnt.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VGgnt.png)  
[大盂鼎](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Yu_ding)  
[集成2837](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=2837&jgwfl=)``西周  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0UCRH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0UCRH.png)  
御正衛簋  
[集成4044](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4044&jgwfl=)``西周  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w9StD.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w9StD.png)  
無㠱簋  
[集成4225](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=4225&jgwfl=)``[春秋](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_and_Autumn_period)  
金  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Uv9W.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Uv9W.png)  
中子化盤  
[集成10137](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/?bh=10137&jgwfl=)``秦  
簡  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xqL1E.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xqL1E.png)  
23.3  
睡虎地秦簡``[西漢](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Western_Han)  
隸  
[![正](https://i.stack.imgur.com/apPQt.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/apPQt.png)  
[孫臏](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Bin%27s_Art_of_War)37  
[銀雀山漢簡](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yinqueshan_Han_Slips)``  
楷  
[![enter image description
here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Vtcf.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7Vtcf.png)  
  
`

* * *

**References:**

  * [漢語多功能字庫](http://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/)
  * 《王力古漢語字典》
  * [小學堂](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/)
    * [異體字表](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/variants)
    * [字形演變](https://xiaoxue.iis.sinica.edu.tw/yanbian)
  * [國學大師](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/)
    * [郭沫若《甲骨文合集》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/jgwhj/)
    * [中國社會科學院考古研究所《殷周金文集成》](http://www.guoxuedashi.com/yzjwjc/)

