电传 (diàn chuán) — telex, teleprinter

Definition

noun
telexteleprinter
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 电传。
    Gōng sī yòng diàn chuán fā sòng jǐn jí wén jiàn.
    The company uses telex to send urgent documents.
  • 电传。
    Zhè tái diàn chuán yǐ jīng yòng le hěn duō nián.
    This teleprinter has been used for many years.
  • 电传。
    Xiàn zài hěn shǎo rén yòng diàn chuán le.
    Nowadays few people use telex.

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.

电diànelectricity or telegraph
传chuántransmit

电 denotes electricity or telegraph, and 传 denotes transmission, naming a telex or teleprinter.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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