流言 (liú yán) — rumor, gossip | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

流言 specifically means spreading unverified talk (谣言 stresses 'false rumor'). Almost always appears as the set phrase 流言蜚语 meaning rumors and slander.

noun

rumorgossip

Examples

流言，。
Wǎng luò shàng yǒu hěn duō liú yán, bú yào qīng yì xiāng xìn.
There are many rumors on the internet; don't easily believe them.
流言。
Zhè xiē liú yán yǐng xiǎng le tā de shēng yù.
These rumors affected his reputation.
流言。
Bú yào chuán bō nà xiē méi yǒu gēn jù de liú yán.
Don't spread those baseless rumors.

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.

流言 combines 流 flow and 言 speech to suggest words flowing from mouth to mouth.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

㐬

㐬㐬流liú

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Appears in

Communication & Speech

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