拉丁语 (Lā dīng yǔ) — Latin (language) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

Latin (language)

Examples

拉丁语。
Tā zài dà xué zhǔ xiū Lā dīng yǔ.
He majored in Latin at university.
拉丁语。
Zhè piān lùn wén yǐn yòng le xǔ duō Lā dīng yǔ wén xiàn.
This paper cites many Latin sources.
拉丁语。
Lā dīng yǔ Shì ōu zhōu xǔ duō xiàn dài yǔ yán de yuán tóu.
Latin is the source of many modern European languages.

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.

拉丁Latin

音译Transliteration

语yǔlanguage

拉丁 sounds out Latin, and 语 means language.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

立

立lì拉lā

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拉 pairs 手 (hand) with 立, a component that supplies the sound.

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

丁 may picture a nail head, a person's head, a square city wall, or a square star pattern.

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 語; 语 is its simplified writing.

言吾語

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

吾

吾wú語yǔ

Same sound today

The form 語 pairs 言 (speech) with 吾, which gives the sound; this note is about 語, not 语.

Appears in

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