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The adoption of almost 200 additional characters to the list of joyo kanji in 2010 introduced some discrepancies of simplifying certain radicals. According to an official supplement to the list(p.36-38), the original and simplified versions are both considered acceptable.

A familiar example would be the 食 radical, which can be left as𩙿or simplified as飠in 餅(もち). Other examples can be found in kanji with other shared elements like 者 with 箸 and 賭, and 緑 with 剥.

One particular kanji that surprised me was 稽. Not only does this add a stroke when simplified as 𥡴, it also changes the sound element of 旨 according to this blog.

So my question is: is there any historical precedent to this simplification or other (non-joyo) kanji that follow a similar trend?

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  • "that follow a similar trend?" Which trend? You've mentioned a few candidates: 1) kanji which may be changed when used as a radical, 2) kanji that add a stroke when simplified, 3) kanji whose simplifications change their "sound element". The question seems unclear and overly broad without this clarification.
    – jogloran
    Jul 9, 2021 at 5:27
  • Maybe trend wasn't the best word. As mentioned in the title, I'm looking for other kanji with similar elements as 稽 that were simplified in a similar way, specifically ones that change the 旨 to a 上 + 日.
    – JParker
    Jul 9, 2021 at 6:12
  • Which part of the linked document says 𥡴 is a simplified version of 稽?
    – aguijonazo
    Jul 9, 2021 at 6:12
  • It's in the table on page 38 of the supplement.
    – JParker
    Jul 9, 2021 at 6:38
  • (2) says 点画の簡略化 but (3) simply says その他, meaning other cases of 筆写の楷書の習慣. I think 𥡴 is one example of 現代において，実際に広く 用いられているとは言い難いもの.
    – aguijonazo
    Jul 9, 2021 at 15:53

1 Answer 1

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Essentially answered in the comment, but hopefully the following clarifies your question.

First of all, 常用漢字 is not about simplifying characters and almost never did, except 燈 →　灯. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%B8%B8%E7%94%A8%E6%BC%A2%E5%AD%97#1981%E5%B9%B4%E3%81%AE%E5%88%B6%E5%AE%9A%E6%99%82%EF%BC%88%E5%BD%93%E7%94%A8%E6%BC%A2%E5%AD%97%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AE%E9%81%95%E3%81%84%EF%BC%89

It is more about which characters are acceptable for official use, and the linked document discusses fluctuations in some characters, including 稽 in your question.

Simplification (in Japanese Kanji context) usually refers to the simplification enforced in 1946, and that is 当用漢字.

Second, on the 旨 and 上+日 relationship, they are called variants (異体字). This does not necessarily mean one is derived from the other, but rather that they are listed as the same character in some old Chinese character dictionary. https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/kanji/%E7%A8%BD/

So technically any kanji containing 旨 could have its 旨 replaced with 上+日.

That said, I guess 上+日 could be derived from 旨. Because

  • as noted in the linked document, 上+日 was conventional in 楷書体 which is the standard style in calligraphy (I mean Chinese calligraphy with brush)
  • Straight lines in 上 is easier to write than ヒ.
  • FYI 明朝体 is the standard style for printing (with movable types)

Lastly, though probably not the kind of answer you are asking for, but one example where 常用漢字 have more stokes than its variant: 涼 vs 凉.

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Also I found the following. https://koikekaisho.hatenadiary.org/entry/20120201/1328061513

It says 者 was originally without the dot, but later the dotted version was introduced in a Chinese dictionary 説文解字 and made its way into 当用漢字.

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