selection, summary, 1/10 shaku
鈔 centers on selecting and condensing: picking out key points to form a summary, or a specific small unit (1/10 shaku) that represents a selected fraction.
鈔 combines 金 (metal) with 少, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of smallness or reduction. The character originally referred to a small metal coin or a fraction of a monetary unit, later extending to the act of selecting or summarizing.
The left side is metal 金, and the right side is few/little 少. Imagine using a metal tool to pick out only a few key points, creating a summary. The small metal coin sense fits the idea of a tiny fraction.
For ショウ, picture a show where a metal detector selects only a few valuable items from a pile: show -> ショウ, and the metal 金 picks out the small 少 treasures.
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