招魂 (zhāo hún) — to call back the spirit of the dead, to perform a soul-summoning ritual; (by extension) the practice of spiritism

Definition

A verb meaning to perform a ritual that calls back the spirit of a deceased person, an ancient folk practice aimed at communicating with the dead. Often used in the context of mourning or spiritism.

verb
to call back the spirit of the dead, to perform a soul-summoning ritual(by extension) the practice of spiritism

Examples

  • 招魂。
    Jiā rén wéi sǐ qù de qīn rén zhāo hún.
    The family summoned the spirit of their deceased loved one.
  • ，。
    Tā qǐng rén zhāo le yí cì hún, xī wàng hé qù shì de zǔ mǔ shuō huà.
    She had someone perform a soul-summoning ritual, hoping to speak with her deceased grandmother.
  • 招魂。
    zhāo hún Shì yì zhǒng gǔ lǎo de mín jiān chuán tǒng.
    Summoning the spirit is an ancient folk tradition.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

招zhāosummon
魂húnsoul

招 means summon, 魂 means soul, so the word is to call back a soul.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
召
召zhào招zhāo
Same sound today

招 pairs 扌, the hand part, with 召, which gives the sound, to show beckoning with the hand.

Open 招 →

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
鬼鬼guǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
云
云yún魂hún(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

魂 is made from 鬼, the ghost component, plus 云, which supplies the sound.

Open 魂 →

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