Sinking and disappearing with 没
没 refers to sinking deep into water or disappearing from view, and it also conveys meanings such as “to die” or “to cease to exist”.
Etymology
This kanji is an associative compound comprised of 氵 (water) and 殳 (from an older kanji of a figure diving beneath the surface to retrieve something from below). These invoke imagery of a person plunging completely under the water, vanishing from sight.
The meaning of sink is direct from this imagery, going beneath the water’s surface and out of view. Just as something submerged becomes unseen, 没 takes on the broader sense of disappear. A celestial body disappearing below the horizon gives sunset (日没), and a person permanently disappearing from the world gives death. Plunging fully into something yields the sense of immerse, and making property disappear from its owner gives confiscate.
Immersion and Absorption
没頭 (Absorption)
没頭 means becoming completely absorbed in an activity, often losing track of time.
It combines 没 (plunge) with 頭 (head) to show plunging one's head entirely into something.
Akari is expecting a text message from Izumi. Unknown to her, Izumi’s response was getting too long, so he switched to his computer to write up an e-mail instead.
- Narration:
- 「和泉からの返信が来ない」
- “I haven't received a reply from Izumi.”
- あかり:
- 「楽しみにしてた新刊読んで気を紛らわそう！」
- “I'll distract myself by reading the new book I've been looking forward to!”
- 「没頭してたらいつのまにか返信来てたりするかもね！」
- “Maybe if I get really absorbed in it, the reply will show up before I know it!”
Sinking and Submersion
日没 (Sunset)
日没 means sunset, when the sun drops below the horizon.
It combines 日 (sun) with 没 (sink) to show the sun sinking below the horizon.
During a game of hide-and-seek in the park, Ayumi hides in the trunk of a car only to fall asleep. Since the car drove off a while ago, Conan plans to track Ayumi’s communication badge with his tracking glasses and follow the vehicle on his turbo-engine skateboard. Since the engine is solar-powered, he can only use it during sunlight.
- コナン:
- 「日没まであと１時間ちょい…」
- “Just over an hour until sunset.”
- 「えーっと 奴らの車は…」
- “Let's see, their car is...”
水没 (Submersion)
水没 means sinking below the water or becoming submerged.
It combines 水 (water) with 没 (sink) to show something sunk beneath the water.
While out buying cat food during acqua alta, when tides have risen onto the streets, Akari is caught in a heavy downpour. She finds herself near Himeya Company, where her friend Aika lives, and she’s invited in to stay the night. As the two watch the falling rain through a window, Akari types an e-mail about her adventure that day.
- 灯里:
- 「水没した街を歩いたり滝のような雨に遭ったり」
- “Walking through a flooded town or getting caught in a downpour...”