TSUMUGU · TOCFL 5 (est.) · 字
翁
翁 ＝ 公 ＋ 羽
ㄨㄥ · wēng
noun — an old man, an elder; (orig.) the feathers of a bird's neck
字源 FORM — what the parts do
公聲gōng — a venerable elder, a lord; gives the sound, and an echo of the old mandual-role echo: 公 also names a respected elder — the sense rides along with the sound
IF≠公 gōng → 翁 wēng — the velar onset lenites to w-, the final shifts ong → eng
羽義feathers
公 (gōng) over feathers (羽) — 說文 names the feathers of a bird's neck. The everyday word settled on the old man, helped by 公 itself, which already means a venerable elder: 老翁, 漁翁 (the old fisherman), 富翁 (a rich man). The sound lenited from gōng to wēng.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
一位長者（公），白鬚像鳥羽（羽）一樣垂下來——老翁。
An elder (公), white beard hanging soft as a bird's feathers (羽) — an old man, 翁.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)鳥頸上的毛— the feathers of a bird's neck
→老翁、漁翁、富翁— an old man, an elder常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension
關 · Related
公gōngthe dual-role piece — sound, and the venerable elder it echoes嗡wēngthe series — 口 not ; a droning hum