拠 means “basis, foothold”

きょ · kyo

Also: based on, follow, therefore

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

よる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キョ, コ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 8 strokes

The story

A hand (扌) planted on a place (処): picture a climber gripping a ledge to pull up from. 拠 is a foothold, ground to stand on: 根拠 is grounds for a claim, 拠点 a base of operations, and 証拠 the proof every crime drama hunts for.

Used in 証拠 (shouko, evidence), 根拠 (konkyo, grounds/basis), and 拠点 (kyoten, base/stronghold)

More from Roots & Foundations

• 盤 board
• 礎 cornerstone
• 軸 axis
• 概 outline
• 枢 pivot
• 芯 core
• 基 foundation
• 幹 trunk
• 源 source

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.