sure, certain, real, true
确 centers on firmness and solidity: something sure, certain, real, or true, like a fact grounded in stone.
确 combines 石 (stone) and 角 (horn/angle), suggesting something as solid and definite as stone. The exact historical development is uncertain.
Stone 石 and horn 角 together suggest something hard and definite. Picture a stone tablet carved with horn tools to record certain, real facts.
For カク, imagine a stone tablet with a carved angle that looks like a cock (カク) crowing at dawn, announcing a sure and certain new day.
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stony, fallow land