狼孩 (láng hái) — feral child raised by wolves, wolf child

Definition

noun
feral child raised by wolveswolf child
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 狼孩。
    Zhè ge láng hái shì yóu kē xué jiā zài sēn lín lǐ fā xiàn de.
    This wolf child was discovered by scientists in the forest.
  • 狼孩。
    Guān yú láng hái de gù shi yǐn qǐ le xǔ duō rén de xìng qù.
    The story about the wolf child aroused many people's interest.
  • 狼孩。
    Nà ge láng hái hòu lái xué huì le rén lèi de yǔ yán.
    That wolf child later learned human language.

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.

孩háichild

狼 wolf and 孩 child combine to mean a child raised by wolves.

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng狼láng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 犭 (full form 犬) shows a dog-like animal. The right part 良 gives the sound.

Open 狼 →

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
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài孩hái
Same sound today

In 孩, the left part 子 shows a child, while the right part 亥 supplies the sound.

Open 孩 →

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