泸 (lú) — river name (historical); used in place names

Definition

A bound morph (only appears as part of a longer name) referring to the historical Lu River (泸水) and to places named after it, such as 泸州 (Luzhou, Sichuan) and 泸沽湖 (Lugu Lake). It never stands alone as a word.

bound form
river name (historical)used in place names

Examples

  • 泸。
    lú Zhōu shì zhōng guó sì chuān shěng de yí gè chéng shì.
    Luzhou is a city in Sichuan Province, China.
  • 泸。
    lú Gū hú de jǐng sè fēi cháng měi lì.
    The scenery of Lugu Lake is very beautiful.
  • ,泸。
    Zài gǔ dài, lú shuǐ shì yì tiáo zhòng yào de hé liú.
    In ancient times, the Lu River was an important river.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 瀘; 泸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
盧
盧lú瀘Lú
Same sound today

The traditional form 瀘 combines 水 (water) with 盧, which supplies the sound; the simplified 泸 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.

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