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启示录 (Qǐ shì lù) — Revelation (the last book of the New Testament)

Definition

启示录 (Qǐshìlù) is the Chinese name for the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament. The literal meaning of the characters is 'book of revelation/apocalypse.'

noun
Revelation (the last book of the New Testament)

Examples

  • 《启示录》。
    Tā měi tiān dú yì zhāng 《Qǐ shì lù》.
    He reads one chapter of Revelation every day.
  • 《启示录》《》。
    《Qǐ shì lù》 Shì 《shèng jīng》 de zuì hòu yí juàn.
    Revelation is the last book of the Bible.
  • 《启示录》？
    Nǐ duì 《Qǐ shì lù》 zhōng de yù yán gǎn xìng qù ma?
    Are you interested in the prophecies in Revelation?

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.

启示revelation
启qǐopen示shìshow
联合Coordinate
录lùrecord

启示 (“revelation”) and 录 (“record”) name the book of revelation.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 啟; 启 is its simplified writing.

For 启, the traditional form 啟 comes from an earlier shape with 戶 (door) and 又 (hand), showing a hand opening a door.

Open 启 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

示 began as a drawing of an altar. Extra strokes were added to keep it distinct from unrelated old forms.

Open 示 →

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 錄; 录 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù錄lù
Same sound today

The traditional form 錄 combines 金 (metal) with 彔, which gives the sound; the simplified 录 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 录 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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