圭

gui

jade tablet

Metaphorical: Authority, precision, and moral benchmarks

扌

shou

挂

gua

to hang/suspend

using the hand (扌) to place hand-tablet in a elevated or fixed position, like hanging an object on a hook

寸

cun

inch, unit of length

joint

hand

封

feng

to seal, to close

封建 "feudal", 封王  "to crown a king"

封锁 "to blockade", 封路 "to close a road"

A formal act (圭) done by hand (寸)

革

ge

leather, an animal hide

to change/reform

a pictograph of a stretched-out animal hide with straps — used in tanning or crafting leather; the top resembles straps or fasteners; the middle and bottom parts suggest the hide stretched out

Core Idea: From raw hide to metaphors for change

 革新 "innovation", 变革 "transformation" 

革命家 "revolutionary"

鞋

xie

shoes;

footwear in general

鞋店 "shoe store"

穿小鞋 "to make life hard for someone," lit. "to wear tight shoes"

Officers and servants who are given the insignia tablet (圭) from the king could wear leather (革) shoes

行

xing

OK; to move/travel

to go/walk

taking the shape of a crossroad, where one decides where to go, walk, or move

街

jie

street, road

crossroads/go (xing) + jaded tablet (gui)

a crossroad has tablets with the name of the streets