槛 (jiàn) — (bound form) threshold; door sill
Definition
槛 (jiàn) is a bound literary noun for the wooden threshold of a door, as in 门槛 (ménkǎn, 'door sill'). It is not used alone in modern speech — always pair it with 门 to form 门槛.
bound form
thresholddoor sill
Examples
- Tā kuà guò le rén shēng de zuì hòu yí dào mén jiànHe crossed the final threshold of his life.
- 槛。Gǔ dài qiú chē yě jiào jiàn chē.Ancient prison vans were also called jiànchē.
- Zhè dào mén jiàn de gāo dù zhèng hǎo shì hé lǎo rénThe height of this threshold is just right for the elderly.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 檻; 槛 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān檻jiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 檻 pairs 木 (wood) with 監, which gives it its sound; the simplified 槛 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.
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