TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 (est.) · 字
幾
幾 ＝ 幺幺 ＋ 戍
ㄐㄧˇ · jǐ/jī
pron/adv — how many; a few; (jī) nearly
字源 FORM — what the parts do
幺幺義two wisps of thread — the barely-there
戍義a sentry — a person under a halberd (人 + 戈)
Two wisps of thread (幺幺) beside a sentry (戍, a man under his halberd) — what the watcher strains to make out: the barely-there. Read jī it keeps that edge: 幾乎 all but. Read jǐ it was borrowed for the counting question: 幾個、幾點.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
哨兵（戍）瞇眼盯著地平線上兩縷（幺幺）細煙——來的是幾個人？
The sentry (戍) squints at two threads (幺幺) of smoke on the horizon — how many are coming?
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
jǐ
(假借)幾個、幾點— how many — the borrowed question常用
→十幾、幾十— and some — an unfixed few
jī
(本義)幾微— the faint, the barely-there
→幾乎— almost — within a hair常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
機＝ 木 ＋ jīthe same 幾 on wood 木 — the loom's trigger, the machine几jīthe lookalike — the small table of 茶几