俄克拉何马州 (E kè lā hé mǎ zhōu) — Oklahoma (US state)

Definition

noun
Oklahoma (US state)

Examples

  • 俄克拉何马州。
    E kè lā hé mǎ zhōu Zài měi guó de zhōng bù.
    Oklahoma is in the central part of the United States.
  • 俄克拉何马州。
    Tā de lǎo jiā zài E kè lā hé mǎ zhōu.
    His hometown is in Oklahoma.
  • 俄克拉何马州。
    E kè lā hé mǎ zhōu Yǐ niú zǎi wén huà ér wén míng.
    Oklahoma is famous for its cowboy culture.

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.

俄克拉何马Oklahoma
俄é克kè拉lā何hé马mǎ
州zhōustate

“俄克拉何马” spells Oklahoma, and “州” means state; together they name the US state Oklahoma.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ俄é
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

俄 pairs 亻 (person) with 我, which gives the sound.

Open 俄 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 克 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
立
立lì拉lā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

Open 拉 →

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

The old form of 何 drew a person carrying something on their shoulder. If the carried thing was a 戈, the 人 and 戈 parts together showed that picture.

Open 何 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

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

州 originally drew an islet in a river.

Open 州 →

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