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怀俄明州 (Huái é míng zhōu) — Wyoming, a US state

Definition

noun
Wyominga US state

Examples

  • 怀俄明州。
    Huái é míng zhōu Shì měi guó de yí gè zhōu.
    Wyoming is a state of the United States.
  • 怀俄明州。
    Wǒ cóng lái méi yǒu qù guò Huái é míng zhōu.
    I have never been to Wyoming.
  • 怀俄明州。
    Huái é míng zhōu De fēng jǐng fēi cháng měi lì.
    The scenery in Wyoming is very beautiful.

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.

怀俄明Wyoming
怀huái俄é明míng
州zhōustate

怀俄明 spells the sound of Wyoming, and 州 marks a US state.

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 懷; 怀 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
褱
褱huái懷huái
Same sound today

The traditional form 懷 uses 心 (heart) to show longing and 褱 for the sound; the simplified 怀 is a later shorthand.

Open 怀 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ俄é
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

俄 pairs 亻 (person) with 我, which gives the sound.

Open 俄 →

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

明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), showing the sun just rising while the moon has not yet set, or two bright objects in the sky, to express brightness.

Open 明 →

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

州 originally drew an islet in a river.

Open 州 →
Appears in
Geography & Landforms

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