南极圈 (nán jí quān) — Antarctic Circle

Definition

Geographic term for the Antarctic Circle, the southern parallel of latitude (∼66.5°S) marking the start of the polar day/night zone. As a proper noun it has no close curriculum synonym.

noun
Antarctic Circle

Examples

  • 南极圈。
    nán jí quān Shì dì qiú shàng zuì nán de wěi dù quān zhī yī.
    The Antarctic Circle is one of the southernmost latitude circles on Earth.
  • 南极圈，。
    Zài nán jí quān yǐ nèi, xià jì huì chū xiàn jí zhòu xiàn xiàng.
    Within the Antarctic Circle, polar day occurs in summer.
  • 南极圈。
    nán jí quān De wèi zhì duì yú yán jiū dì qiú qì hòu fēi cháng zhòng yào.
    The location of the Antarctic Circle is very important for studying Earth's climate.

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.

南极south pole
南nánsouth极jípole
偏正Modifier + head
圈quāncircle

南 and 极 give the south pole, and 圈 gives the circle.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

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
木木mùtree, wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
及
及jí极jí
Same sound today

极 pairs 木 (tree, wood) with 及, which provides the sound.

Open 极 →

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
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
卷
卷juàn圈quān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

圈 is made of the outer 囗, an enclosure shape, and the inner 卷, which gives the sound.

Open 圈 →

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