TSUMUGU · TOCFL 3 (est.) · 字
際
際 ＝ 阝 ＋ 祭
ㄐㄧˋ · jì
noun — edge, juncture; between
字源 FORM — what the parts do
阝義a wall, a mound (阜)
The wall (阝) with 祭 for sound, exact — 說文: where two walls meet. The seam becomes every meeting line: the sky's edge (天際), the moment things touch (之際), and what runs between nations — 國際.
故事 STORY — a scene to remember it by
兩堵牆在牆角接上，一道細縫從上到下（阝）——兩邊在這裡碰頭。
Two walls meet at the corner, one thin seam running top to bottom (阝) — the two sides touch here.
字源記憶法
意 · Meanings
(本義)兩牆相接（壁會）— where walls meet — the join
→邊際、天際— edge, horizon
→之際— the juncture — at the moment of
→國際、人際— between — inter-常用
(本義) original meaning · → ⇒ each arrow = one more step of extension