乱石 (luàn dàn) — scattered rocks; rubble; riprap (stones used for erosion control or foundation)

Definition

noun
scattered rocksrubbleriprap (stones used for erosion control or foundation)
Measure word · 块

Examples

  • ，乱石。
    Bào yǔ guò hòu, shān lù shang quán shì luàn dàn.
    After the heavy rain, the mountain path was covered in rubble.
  • 乱石。
    Gōng rén men yòng luàn dàn jiā gù le hé dī.
    The workers used riprap to reinforce the riverbank.
  • 乱石。
    Kǎo gǔ duì zài luàn dàn duī zhōng fā xiàn le yí jiàn shí qì.
    The archaeological team found a stone tool in a pile of rubble.

Origin

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.

乱luànscattered
石shístones

乱 (scattered) describes 石 (stones), giving rubble or riprap.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乚Written in full as乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤔔
𤔔𤔔亂luàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 乱 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.

Open 石 →

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