嫁接 (jià jiē) — (horticulture) to graft; (figurative) to integrate, to borrow and merge

Definition

Literally 'graft' (horticulture: joining one plant onto another); figuratively, to merge ideas, techniques, or traditions from different fields into something new.

verb
(horticulture) to graft(figurative) to integrateto borrow and merge

Examples

  • 嫁接。
    Zhè xiàng jì shù shì jià jiē le liǎng zhǒng bù tóng xué kē de chéng guǒ.
    This technology is a graft of achievements from two different disciplines.
  • 嫁接，。
    Bǎ chuán tǒng gōng yì jià jiē dào xiàn dài shè jì zhōng, xiào guǒ hěn hǎo.
    Grafting traditional craftsmanship into modern design works very well.
  • 嫁接。
    Nóng mín tōng guò jià jiē gǎi liáng le guǒ shù de pǐn zhǒng.
    Farmers improved the fruit tree variety through grafting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

嫁jiàtransplant or join
接jiēconnect

嫁 describes transplanting or joining plant parts, and 接 describes connecting them, together meaning to graft.

Characters in this word

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
女女nǚ
Sound part声符shēngfú
家
家jiā嫁jià
Same sound today

嫁 uses 女 to show it relates to a woman, and 家 to give its sound.

Open 嫁 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
妾
妾qiè接jiē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 扌 shows a hand, matching the sense of receiving something in the hand, while 妾 gives the character its sound.

Open 接 →

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