传染源 (chuán rǎn yuán) — source of infection (e.g., a person, animal, or object that transmits a disease)

Definition

noun
source of infection (e.g., a person, animal, or object that transmits a disease)

Examples

  • 传染源。
    Kòng zhì chuán rǎn yuán shì yù fáng chuán rǎn bìng de guān jiàn.
    Controlling the source of infection is key to preventing infectious diseases.
  • 传染源。
    Yī shēng zhèng zài chá zhǎo zhè cì yì qíng de chuán rǎn yuán.
    Doctors are tracking down the source of infection for this outbreak.
  • 传染源。
    Gé lí chuán rǎn yuán kě yǐ yǒu xiào zǔ duàn bìng dú chuán bō.
    Isolating the source of infection can effectively block the spread of the virus.

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.

传染infection
传chuántransmit染rǎninfect
联合Side by side
源yuánsource

传染 (spread infection) and 源 (source) combine to mean a source that spreads infection.

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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

染 combines 氵 (water), 九 (hook), and 木 (tree): something hung on a hook from a tree into water to dye it.

Open 染 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
原
原yuán源yuán
Same sound today

源 combines 水 (water) and 原 (origin): 水 points to water, and 原 gives the sound.

Open 源 →

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