21. 子不學

Tzu pu 1 hsueh2 

Child not learn

If the child does not learn, 

Tzu see line 11. 

Pu see line 5. 

Hsüeh see line 11. 

22. 非所宜

Fei1 so3 i2 

Not what ought 

this is not as it should be. 

Fei is supposed to resemble a pair of wings placed back to back; hence, to turn the back on, to negative. 

So is composed of 戶 hu a leaf of 門 men a door, and 斤 chin (line 3). Its original meaning was the sound of chopping. It then came to mean a place, i.e. was probably adopted to express an idea the sound for which already existed. The next stage was to apply this word in the sense of a relative pronoun. It will be found under radical hu in K'ang Hsi's dictionary, under chin in the 說文 Shuo Wen dictionary of the 1st cent. A.D. 

I is composed, under its old form, of 多 to many (line 302) contracted, below a roof and above a line = the ground. It originally meant in repose, sheltered, and now means to be right, fitting, proper. 

23. 幼不學

Yu4 pu 1 hsüeh2 

Young not learn 

If he does not learn while young, 

Yu is an ideogram composed of 幺 yao small, said to be the picture of a new-born child, now the ace at dice, as radical, and 力 strength; sc. youth.

 

Pu see line 5. 

Hstieh see line 11. 

23. 老何為

Lao 3 ho 2 wei2 

Old what be 

what will he be when old? 

Lao was originally composed of 人 jen man, 毛 mao hair, and an obsolete character meaning to change; q.d. the hair turning white, seventy years of age. See lines 41, 174. 

Ho is composed of 人 jen man as radical, with 可 Ko possibility, can, as phonetic. It is a common interrogative particle. 

Wei is composed of 爪 chao claws as radical, over the alleged picture of a female monkey, which is said to be fond of scratching. It came to mean to be, to do. Read wei4 it means on behalf, in place of; hence to pawn.