盎 (àng) — ancient vessel with a large belly and a small mouth
Definition
An 盎 (àng) is a historical wine vessel — round-bellied with a narrow mouth, used in ancient China. It is essentially an archaic synonym for the modern cup/jar 缸 (gāng), encountered only in classical texts.
noun
ancient vessel with a large belly and a small mouth
Examples
- 盎。Bó wù guǎn lǐ zhǎn chū le yí gè gǔ dài àng.The museum is displaying an ancient 盎.
- 盎，。Zhè ge àng de dù zi hěn dà, kǒu què hěn xiǎo.This 盎 has a large belly but a small mouth.
- ，盎。Wén xiàn jì zǎi zhōng, àng shì yòng lái chéng jiǔ de qì jù.According to historical records, the 盎 was a vessel used to hold wine.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
皿皿mǐndish; vessel
Sound part声符shēngfú
央
央yāng盎àng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
盎 pairs 皿, a dish or vessel, with 央 as the sound part.
Appears in
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