拉文 (lā wén) — Latin (the language), Latin literature | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A textbook term for 'Latin' (the language and its literature), mainly used in academic and writing contexts. In speech, people usually just say 拉丁语.

noun

Latin (the language)Latin literature

Examples

拉文。
Tā duì gǔ dài lā wén hěn gǎn xìng qù.
He is very interested in ancient Latin.
拉文。
Zhè běn lā wén yǔ fǎ shū hěn nán kàn dǒng.
This Latin grammar book is very hard to understand.
拉文。
Fān yì zhè piān lā wén wén xiàn xū yào hěn duō shí jiān.
Translating this Latin document requires a lot of time.

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.

文wénlanguage

The Latin name 拉 combines with 文 to mean the Latin 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.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

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