猕猴 (mí hóu) — macaque (a type of monkey, especially the rhesus macaque)

Definition

noun
macaque (a type of monkey, especially the rhesus macaque)
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 猕猴。
    Dòng wù yuán lǐ yǒu yì zhī mí hóu.
    There is a macaque in the zoo.
  • 猕猴。
    mí hóu Xǐ huan chī shuǐ guǒ hé jiān guǒ.
    Macaques like to eat fruit and nuts.
  • 猕猴。
    Zhè xiē mí hóu shēng huó zài shān shàng.
    These macaques live in the mountains.

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.

猕mímacaque
猴hóumonkey

猕 names the kind of monkey and 猴 means monkey, together denoting a macaque.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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
侯
侯hóu猴hóu(r)
Same sound today

猴 pairs 犭, the animal part, with 侯, which gives the sound.

Open 猴 →

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