尸首 (shī shou) — human corpse | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A straightforward, somewhat literary word for a human corpse, more formal and written than the everyday 尸体. The measure word 具 (jù) is standard for counting bodies.

noun

human corpse

Measure word · 具

Examples

尸首。
Jǐng chá zài hé biān zhǎo dào le nà jù shī shou.
The police found the corpse by the river.
尸首，。
Zhàn chǎng shàng dào chù shì shī shou, jǐng xiàng shí fēn cǎn liè.
Corpses were everywhere on the battlefield, a truly tragic scene.
尸首。
Fǎ yī zhèng zài jiǎn chá nà jù shī shou.
The forensic doctor is examining that corpse.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

尸 gives body, and 首 gives head, together denoting a dead body.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 屍; 尸 is its simplified writing.

尸死屍

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

尸

尸shī屍shī

Same sound today

The traditional form 屍 pairs 尸 as a sound part with 死 as a meaning part; this evidence does not explain 尸 alone.

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

The shape comes from an old drawing of an animal's head, showing a long mouth and horns; the version with hair became 首.

Appears in

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