子痫 (zǐ xián) — eclampsia (a dangerous pregnancy complication causing seizures)

Definition

noun
eclampsia (a dangerous pregnancy complication causing seizures)

Examples

  • 子痫。
    Yī shēng zhěn duàn tā huàn yǒu zǐ xián.
    The doctor diagnosed her with eclampsia.
  • 子痫。
    zǐ xián Xū yào lì jí zhù yuàn zhì liáo.
    Eclampsia requires immediate hospitalization.
  • 子痫。
    Huái yùn qī jiān yìng zhù yì yù fáng zǐ xián.
    During pregnancy, one should pay attention to preventing eclampsia.

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.

子zǐfetus/child
痫xiánseizure

子 (fetus/child) and 痫 (seizure) combine to name a seizure condition.

Characters in this word

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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 癇; 痫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
閒
閒xián癇⁰xián
Same sound today

The traditional form 癇 pairs 疒 (illness) with 閒 for the sound; the simplified 痫 is a later shorthand.

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