层叠 (céng dié) — to be layered / to pile up / to stack

Definition

层叠 describes many similar things stacked or piled one on top of another, often in large quantities. More layered and voluminous than the simpler sense of 堆 (to pile up).

verb
to be layered / to pile up / to stack

Examples

  • 层叠，。
    Zhè xiē shān mài céng dié qǐ fú, fēi cháng zhuàng guān.
    These mountain ranges are layered and undulating, very spectacular.
  • 层叠。
    Tā bǎ wén jiàn céng dié qǐ lái fàng hǎo.
    He stacked the documents and put them away.
  • 层叠，。
    Yún céng céng dié, yù shì zhe bào fēng yǔ yào lái le.
    The cloud layers are piled up, indicating a storm is coming.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

层cénglayer
叠diépile/overlap

层 (layer) and 叠 (pile/overlap) together describe things piled in layers.

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 層; 层 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
曾
曾céng層céng
Same sound today

The traditional form 層 uses 尸 for the meaning and 曾 for the sound; the simplified 层 is a later abbreviation.

Open 层 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 疊; 叠 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 疊, not 叠, pairs 畾 and 宜 to show a pile.

Open 叠 →

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