手掛かり
てがかり · tegakari · JLPT N1 · noun
clue
🔍 手 hand + 掛かり hooking on: a hint is something your hand can grab onto
手掛かり literally means a hand-hold, something to hang your hand on while climbing. A clue works the same way: it gives you a grip on the problem. 掛かる means to hang or catch on.
手 — pictograph of a hand with five fingers
手 is a pictograph showing an open hand with fingers and a wrist. Early bronze and oracle bone forms clearly depict five splayed fingers, which simplified over time into the modern shape. It keeps its original meaning of 'hand' and also serves as a radical in many characters related to hand actions.