小字 (xiǎo zì) — small characters (smaller font size in printing, calligraphy, etc.); childhood name, baby name (pet name used in the family)

Definition

Two unrelated senses: (1) smaller font size in print/calligraphy, and (2) a childhood pet name used within the family (e.g. 乳名).

noun
small characters (smaller font size in printing, calligraphy, etc.)childhood namebaby name (pet name used in the family)

Examples

  • 小字，。
    Zhè běn shū de zhèng wén yòng xiǎo zì pái yìn, zhù shì yòng gèng xiǎo de zì.
    The main text of this book is printed in small characters, and the footnotes use even smaller ones.
  • 小字“”，。
    Tā de xiǎo zì jiào "ā bǎo", jiā lǐ rén dōu zhè me jiào tā.
    His childhood name is 'Abao', and everyone in the family calls him that.
  • 小字，。
    Gǔ dài wén rén cháng yǐ xiǎo zì tí xiě shī gǎo, xiǎn de qīn qiè.
    Ancient literati often used their childhood names to inscribe poem drafts, which came across as intimate.

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.

小xiǎosmall
字zìcharacter

小 means small or young and 字 means character or name; together smaller characters or a childhood name.

Characters in this word

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

  • 八八bāto divide; to separate
  • 丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

Open 小 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
子
子zǐ字zì
Same sound today

字 pairs 宀 (roof) with 子 (child); 子 gives the sound, while 宀 relates to the meaning.

Open 字 →

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