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大脑皮层 (dà nǎo pí céng) — cerebral cortex

Definition

noun
cerebral cortex

Examples

  • 大脑皮层。
    dà nǎo pí céng Shì dà nǎo zuì wài céng de jié gòu.
    The cerebral cortex is the outermost structure of the brain.
  • 大脑皮层。
    Kē xué jiā zhèng zài yán jiū dà nǎo pí céng de gōng néng.
    Scientists are studying the functions of the cerebral cortex.
  • 大脑皮层。
    Sǔn shāng dà nǎo pí céng huì yǐng xiǎng rén de jì yì hé yǔ yán néng lì.
    Damage to the cerebral cortex can affect a person's memory and language abilities.

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.

大脑cerebrum
大dàbig脑nǎobrain
偏正Modifier + head
皮层skin layer
皮pískin层cénglayer
偏正Modifier + head

大脑 “cerebrum” + 皮层 “skin layer” gives the cerebral cortex.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 腦; 脑 is its simplified writing.

  • 匕匕bǐ
  • 巛巛chuānhair
  • 囟囟xìnhead; fontanel

In the traditional form 腦, the older part 匕 was replaced by a flesh part, while 巛 (hair) and 囟 (head; fontanel) stayed. The simplified 脑 is a later abbreviation.

Open 脑 →

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

皮 shows a hand pulling fur off an animal pelt, with the pelt drawn at the upper left.

Open 皮 →

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 層; 层 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
曾
曾céng層céng
Same sound today

The traditional form 層 uses 尸 for the meaning and 曾 for the sound; the simplified 层 is a later abbreviation.

Open 层 →
Appears in
Organs & Anatomy

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