平纹 (píng wén) — plain weave | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

plain weave

平纹，。
Zhè zhǒng bù liào shì píng wén de, hěn jiē shi.
This fabric is in a plain weave, very durable.
平纹。
píng wén Cháng yòng yú zhì zuò chèn shān hé chuáng dān.
Plain weave is often used for making shirts and bedsheets.
平纹，。
píng wén Zhī fǎ jiǎn dān, dàn fēi cháng shí yòng.
Plain weave is simple in technique but very practical.

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.

平 gives a flat or plain sense, and 纹 is the weave pattern, together plain weave.

Characters in this word

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

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 紋; 纹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìthread

Sound part声符shēngfú

文

Same sound today

The traditional form 紋 pairs 糸 (thread) with 文 as the sound part, giving the sense of a line of thread; this note is about 紋, not 纹.