孔

hole; Confucius

Kanji 1241

It makes sense to find our kanji as “hole” in terms such as “nostril,” “porous,” “perforation,” “vent,” and “buttonhole.” What a surprise, though, to discover its connections to Confucius on the one hand and peacocks on the other. By studying peacocks we end up contemplating ancient Indian beliefs, ferns, malachite, and the dining habits of medieval elites from Europe to Japan! 

Revision history: 

Oct. 29, 2022: p. 13 photo caption: In the translation of the last sentence, I inserted a missing word and improved the end. Also made small adjustments to two vocabulary words.
Aug. 14, 2020: Originally published.