TSUMUGU · TOCFL 3 (est.) · 字
治
治 ＝ 氵 ＋ 台
ㄓˋ · zhì
verb — to govern; to treat, cure
字源 FORM — what the parts do
氵義water
IFTyí → zhì — the scattered 台 family: 始 shǐ、胎 tāi、抬 tái
Water (氵) with 台 for sound — first a river's name, then the river's real work: dikes and channels, water brought to heel (治水). Tame the water and the rest follows — 治理、治病、政治.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
洪水退進渠裡，堤上的人放下鋤頭——水（氵）終於走它該走的路。
The flood drops into the channel, the men on the dike set down their hoes — the water (氵) finally runs where it should.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)治水（本為水名）— to tame water — originally a river's name
→治理、統治、政治— to govern常用
→治病、治療— to treat, cure常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension