Angle or Horn

by Nao

kado, kaku, tsuno,

Corners are expressed by this letter. Some words including this character are related to geometry. Sankakukei (sankakkei) or sankaku meaning triangle has 3 corners. Shikakukei (shikakkei) or shikaku, which means a rectangle, has 4 corners. Gokakukei (gokakkei) has five corners; rokkakukei has six corners. In these words, kaku is today’s character and kei means a shape. This character also expresses the corners of each shape. They are called either kaku or kado. Kaku also means an angle. A square has 4 right angles, which are called chokkaku. A blind spot or a dead angle is called shikaku.

With a voiced sound of kaku, we say hōgaku to mean a direction. “Hō kō”also means a direction. Their usages are not exactly the same. While hō kō does not mean north, south, east or west, hōgaku does not mean upward, downward, to the right, or to the left. Only hō kō can express your future direction.

Animals’ horn is called tsuno. For example, rhinos, oxen, snails, unicorns have tsuno. Japanese ogres have tsuno, too.

1. Draw the sweeping stroke from the top. Make the ending narrower.
2. Draw the hook. After changing the direction of the stroke, draw the sweeping stroke like the previous one. The ending should be narrow like the first stroke although it is hidden.
3. Draw the sweeping stroke. This stroke can be a vertical stroke.
4. Draw the hook with an upward turn.
5. Draw the vertical line at the center. Stop at the place you are going to draw the last horizontal stroke. This stroke does not stick through the last stroke.
6. Draw the horizontal line inside. Place it right between the two horizontal lines.
7. Draw the horizontal stroke.