Outside of its liaison with 密 in 秘密, the kanji 秘 canoodles with 書 in this cool compound:
秘書 (hisho: secretary) to keep secret + writing
Hmm, what kinds of written secrets must this secretary keep?!
Aha, I just realized that the English word “secretary” contains “secret”! The dictionary says that “secretary” sprang from the Middle English word “secretarie,” meaning “one trusted with private or secret matters.”
Do people think of secretaries as confidantes now? Or do executives try to hide the dirty details from their secretaries? I somehow suspect it’s the latter!
Oh, but wait … Some secretaries have had to keep the biggest secret of all—being the boss’s paramour and not letting on about that when the wife calls.
