TSUMUGU · TOCFL 5 (est.) · 字
掙
掙 ＝ 扌 ＋ 爭
ㄓㄥ · zhēng/zhèng
(zhēng) in 掙扎 to struggle, thrash; (zhèng) to break free of, wrench loose; to earn by effort
字源 FORM — what the parts do
扌義a hand — straining, pulling
爭聲zhēng — to contend, fight over; gives the sound and the straining sensedual-role: 爭 (to contend) lends both the sound and the effort of pulling against something
A hand (扌) plus 爭 (zhēng, to contend) — to strain, to pull against something. 爭 gives both the sound and the sense of a contest. As zhēng it pairs with 扎: 掙扎, to thrash and struggle. As zhèng it is the wrench that breaks free — 掙脫 — and the effort that earns — 掙錢.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
手（扌）跟困住它的東西爭（爭）——一下一下地掙。
A hand (扌) contends (爭) with what holds it — straining, again and again.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
zhēng
(本義)掙扎— to struggle, thrash常用
zhèng
(引申)掙脫、掙開— to break free, wrench loose常用
→掙錢— to earn by effort
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension