民族舞 (mín zú wǔ) — folk dance

Definition

noun
folk dance
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 民族舞。
    Tā tiào le yì zhī mín zú wǔ.
    She performed a folk dance.
  • 民族舞。
    Jīn tiān wǎn shàng de biǎo yǎn shì mín zú wǔ.
    Tonight's performance is a folk dance.
  • 民族舞。
    Tā zài xué xí hěn duō zhǒng mín zú wǔ.
    He is learning many kinds of folk dances.

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.

民族ethnic group
民mínpeople族zúclan
联合Side by side
舞wǔdance

民族 (ethnic people) narrows 舞 (dance) to folk dance.

Characters in this word

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

The early form of 民 shows an eye pierced by a sharp cross-shaped implement, possibly linked to an injured or unclear eye.

Open 民 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

族 combines 㫃, a flag, and 矢, an arrow.

Open 族 →

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
舛舛chuǎnsteps, feet in convergent direction
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú舞wǔ
Same sound today

舞 combines 舛, showing feet in converging steps, with 無 above. 無 gave the sound and also preserved its older meaning of dancing, so the shape points to dancing.

Open 舞 →

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