TSUMUGU · TOCFL 2 (est.) · 字
留
留 ＝ 卯 ＋ 田
ㄌㄧㄡˊ · liú
verb — to stay, remain; to keep, hold back
字源 FORM — what the parts do
卯聲mǎo — gives the sound, worn from m to lthe two halves of a split tally, on top
Imǎo → liú — the initial shifts from m to l
卯 mǎo on top for the sound — its m later shifted to l — over a field (田), the land that holds you in place. To stay put, then to keep something back: 停留、保留、留學.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
別人都走了，他還守在田（田）邊——留下來。
The others have all gone; he stays by the field (田) — he remains.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)停留、留下— to stay, remain常用
→保留、留住— to keep, hold back常用
⇒留學、留言— to study abroad; to leave a message
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension