古马 (gǔ mǎ) — Sanmen horse (Equus sanmenensis), an extinct horse species from the Pleistocene

Definition

noun
Sanmen horse (Equus sanmenensis), an extinct horse species from the Pleistocene
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 古马
    Kē xué jiā zài gǔ dì céng zhōng fā xiàn le gǔ mǎ de huà shí.
    Scientists discovered fossils of the Sanmen horse in ancient strata.
  • 古马
    gǔ mǎ Bèi rèn wéi shì zhōng guó běi fāng gēng xīn shì de dài biǎo xìng dòng wù zhī yī.
    The Sanmen horse is considered one of the representative animals of the Pleistocene in northern China.
  • 古马
    Yán jiū gǔ mǎ de gǔ gé jié gòu bāng zhù wǒ men liǎo jiě mǎ de jìn huà lì chéng.
    Studying the skeletal structure of the Sanmen horse helps us understand the evolutionary history of horses.

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.

ancient
horse

古 means ancient, and 马 means horse.

Characters in this word

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

One reading of 古 sees a shield-like shape above an open mark, showing strength and firmness. Another sees a person spitting out bad-tasting food.

Open 古 →

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 →

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