守旧派 (shǒu jiù pài) — conservatives (as a group or faction)

Definition

A collective noun for people who cling to old ways and resist change. As a -派 faction term, it names the whole group (not an individual conservative).

noun
conservatives (as a group or faction)

Examples

  • 守旧派。
    shǒu jiù pài Fǎn duì rèn hé gǎi gé.
    The conservatives oppose any reform.
  • ，守旧派。
    Zài zhè cì xuǎn jǔ zhōng, shǒu jiù pài huò dé le duō shù zhī chí.
    In this election, the conservatives gained majority support.
  • 守旧派。
    shǒu jiù pài De xiǎng fǎ yǐ jīng guò shí le.
    The conservatives' ideas are already outdated.

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.

守旧cling to the old
守shǒukeep旧jiùold
动宾Verb + object
派pàifaction

守旧 means keeping the old, and 派 is a faction, naming conservatives.

Characters in this word

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

  • 宀宀miánroof; building
  • 寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

Open 守 →

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 舊; 旧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雈雈huánowl
Sound part声符shēngfú
臼
臼jiù舊jiù
Same sound today

The traditional form of 旧 is 舊, which shows 雈, an owl, above 臼, which gives the sound.

Open 旧 →

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
水水shuǐwater; river
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢派pài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

派 is built from 水 (water/river) and 𠂢. 𠂢 gives the sound, and 水 was added later to tell the character apart from the older form.

Open 派 →

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