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新词 (xīn cí) — new word, neologism

Definition

新词 (xīn cí) means a newly coined word — typically a modern, often internet-era term not yet in standard dictionaries. Pairs with 网络 (网络新词) to describe online slang and coinages.

noun
new wordneologism
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 新词。
    Zhè ge xīn cí zuì jìn hěn liú xíng.
    This new word has become very popular recently.
  • 新词。
    Měi nián dōu yǒu hěn duō xīn cí jìn rù cí diǎn.
    Every year many new words enter the dictionary.
  • 新词。
    Wǎng luò xīn cí de chū xiàn fǎn yìng le shè huì biàn huà.
    The emergence of internet neologisms reflects social changes.

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.

新xīnnew
词cíword

新 means new and 词 means word, so it names a newly created word.

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.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

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 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →
Appears in
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