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十字军 (shí zì jūn) — the Crusades (the medieval military expeditions); crusade (a vigorous campaign for a cause); crusader (a person engaged in a crusade)

Definition

Refers to the medieval European military expeditions (historical) or, figuratively, a vigorous campaign for a cause. The second sense extends to the people who join such a campaign.

noun
the Crusades (the medieval military expeditions)crusade (a vigorous campaign for a cause)crusader (a person engaged in a crusade)

Examples

  • 十字军。
    shí zì jūn Fā shēng zài zhōng shì jì.
    The Crusades took place in the Middle Ages.
  • 十字军。
    Tā fā qǐ le yì chǎng huán bǎo shí zì jūn.
    He launched an environmental crusade.
  • 十字军。
    Tā shì yí wèi jiān dìng de shí zì jūn.
    He is a determined crusader.

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.

十字cross
十shíten字zìcharacter
偏正Modifier + head
军jūnarmy

“十字” (cross-shaped) describes the “军” (army).

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
子
子zǐ字zì
Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

Open 字 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軍; 军 is its simplified writing.

  • 車車jūcart; chariot
  • 勹勹bāoto surround

In the traditional form 軍, 車 shows the chariot sense, while the part now written 勹 is a sound part, not the 'surround' 勹. Simplified 军 is a later shorthand.

Open 军 →
Appears in
History

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