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光谱 (guāng pǔ) — spectrum

Definition

A physics term for the band of colors (or other electromagnetic radiation) produced when light is split. Often appears in scientific contexts as in 可见光谱 ('visible spectrum') or 红外光谱 ('infrared spectrum').

noun
spectrum

Examples

  • 光谱。
    Zhè ge yí qì kě yǐ cè liáng guāng de guāng pǔ.
    This instrument can measure the spectrum of light.
  • 光谱。
    Kē xué jiā tōng guò fēn xī guāng pǔ lái yán jiū héng xīng.
    Scientists study stars by analyzing their spectrum.
  • 光谱、、、、、靛、。
    Kě jiàn guāng guāng pǔ bāo kuò hóng, chéng, huáng, lǜ, lán, diàn, zǐ.
    The visible spectrum includes red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

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guānglight
谱pǔspectrum

光 is light and 谱 is a spectrum, so the result is a spectrum of 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.

Open 光 →

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 譜; 谱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsound
Sound part声符shēngfú
普
普pǔ譜pǔ(r)
Same sound today

In the traditional form 譜, 言 relates to sound and 普 gives the pronunciation; this explanation is about 譜, not the simplified 谱.

Open 谱 →
Appears in
Physics & Chemistry

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