小词 (xiǎo cí) — (linguistics) particle, function word; (logic) minor term

Definition

In Chinese linguistics, 小词 refers to small function words — particles like 助词 and 语气词 — not content words. In logic, it means a minor term in a syllogism.

noun
(linguistics) particlefunction word(logic) minor term

Examples

  • ，小词。
    Zài hàn yǔ yǔ fǎ zhōng, xiǎo cí bāo kuò zhù cí hé yǔ qì cí.
    In Chinese grammar, particles include auxiliary words and modal particles.
  • 小词‘’。
    Zhè ge luó ji tuī lǐ zhōng de xiǎo cí shì 'suǒ yǒu rén'.
    The minor term in this logical syllogism is 'all people'.
  • ，小词。
    Yǔ yán xué kè shàng, lǎo shī jiǎng jiě le xiǎo cí de gōng néng.
    In linguistics class, the teacher explained the function of particles.

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xiǎolittle
词cíword

小 little and 词 word combine to indicate a small or minor term.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →

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