光纤 (guāng xiān) — optical fiber | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

optical fiber

Measure word · 根

Examples

光纤。
Xiàn zài hěn duō jiā tíng dōu yòng guāng xiān shàng wǎng.
Now many families use optical fiber to go online.
光纤。
guāng xiān De chuán shū sù dù bǐ pǔ tōng diàn lǎn kuài hěn duō.
The transmission speed of optical fiber is much faster than ordinary cables.
光纤。
Yī yuàn yòng guāng xiān lái zuò nèi kuī jìng jiǎn chá.
Hospitals use optical fiber to perform endoscopy.

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.

光 'light' and 纤 'fiber' together mean a fiber that carries light.

Characters in this word

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

火火huǒfire
卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

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 纖; 纤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

韱

韱xiān纖qiàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 纖 uses 糸 for silk and 韱 for the sound; the simplified 纤 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Appears in

Technology & Engineering

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