TSUMUGU · TOCFL 1 · 字
歲
歲 ＝ 步 ＋ 戌
ㄙㄨㄟˋ · suì
measure — years of age; noun — a year
字源 FORM — what the parts do
步義two feet walking — split apart, one half on top, one tucked below止 above, its partner under 戌's blade
戌聲xū — gives the soundwedged through the middle of 步
IFTxū → suì — worn on every axis
Feet pacing (步, split in two) with 戌 wedged between for sound, xū worn all the way to suì. The old graph carries two tellings: the year-star Jupiter walking one station of the sky each year, or the harvest axe (戉) that falls once a year — either way, the year. Then the years a person carries: 三歲、幾歲.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
那顆星一年走（步）一站，十二站走完，又回到原地。
The star walks (步) one station a year; twelve stations, and it stands where it began.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)歲星— the year-star, Jupiter
→年歲— the year
⇒三歲、幾歲— years of age常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension