油印 (yóu yìn) — (noun) mimeograph (a printing machine that uses stencils); (verb) to mimeograph, to produce copies using a mimeograph

Definition

油印 is an old-fashioned duplicating method using a stencil on a mimeograph machine, now mostly obsolete and replaced by photocopiers and printers. Mainly appears as 油印机 (machine) and 油印的试卷 (stencilled exam papers).

noun
mimeograph (a printing machine that uses stencils)
verb
to mimeograph, to produce copies using a mimeograph

Examples

  • 油印。
    Zhè tái yóu yìn jī yǐ jīng yòng le èr shí nián le.
    This mimeograph machine has been used for twenty years.
  • 油印。
    Tā men yóu yìn le yì bǎi fèn shì juàn.
    They mimeographed one hundred exam papers.
  • 油印。
    Zhè zhǒng yóu yìn jì shù xiàn zài hěn shǎo jiàn le.
    This mimeograph technology is rarely seen nowadays.

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.

油yóuoil
印yìnprint

油 refers to the oily stencil or ink process and 印 means printing, together naming mimeographing.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu油yóu
Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies the sound.

Open 油 →

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

  • 爪爪zhuǎhand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

印 pairs 爪 (hand) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on a kneeling person.

Open 印 →

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