派生 (pài shēng) — to derive (from), to be derived (from)

Definition

派生 (pàishēng) means 'to derive,' used in technical fields like linguistics and mathematics for words or theorems that originate from a source. Contrast with 合成, which means to COMPOSE or build something new from parts.

verb
to derive (from)to be derived (from)

Examples

  • 派生。
    Zhè ge cí shì cóng lā dīng yǔ pài shēng chū lái de.
    This word is derived from Latin.
  • 派生。
    Shù xué zhōng hěn duō dìng lǐ dōu pài shēng zì jī běn gōng lǐ.
    In mathematics, many theorems are derived from basic axioms.
  • 派生。
    Zhè xiē pài shēng cí hé yuán cí de yì si hěn jiē jìn.
    These derived words are very close in meaning to the original word.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

派pàibranch
生shēngproduce

“派” is a branch, “生” is to produce: a branch produces a new form.

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
水水shuǐwater; river
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢派pài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

派 is built from 水 (water/river) and 𠂢. 𠂢 gives the sound, and 水 was added later to tell the character apart from the older form.

Open 派 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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