三叶虫 (sān yè chóng) — trilobite | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

trilobite

Measure word · 只

三叶虫。
Bó wù guǎn lǐ zhǎn chū le jǐ zhǒng bù tóng de sān yè chóng huà shí.
Several different types of trilobite fossils are on display at the museum.
三叶虫。
Kē xué jiā cóng sān yè chóng de huà shí zhōng yán jiū gǔ hǎi yáng huán jìng.
Scientists study ancient marine environments from trilobite fossils.
三叶虫。
Zhè kuài sān yè chóng huà shí bǎo cún dé fēi cháng wán zhěng.
This trilobite fossil is very well preserved.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

三叶three leaves

偏正Modifier + head

The three-leaf and worm parts combine to name a trilobite.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

口十叶

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

十

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 叶 pairs 口 (mouth) with 十 (ten) as an old form meaning cooperate; it later came to mean leaf because it sounded similar.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 蟲; 虫 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 蟲 is the one the reference discusses; 虫 is also a traditional character on its own.