盲肠 (máng cháng) — cecum (part of the large intestine); appendix (common usage)

Definition

Strictly, 盲肠 is the cecum (the first part of the large intestine). In everyday speech it is also used loosely for the appendix — the medical term for the appendix is 阑尾.

noun
cecum (part of the large intestine)appendix (common usage)
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 盲肠。
    Yī shēng shuō wǒ dé le máng cháng yán.
    The doctor said I have appendicitis.
  • 盲肠。
    máng cháng Shì dà cháng de yí bù fen.
    The cecum is part of the large intestine.
  • 盲肠。
    Tā yīn wèi máng cháng wèn tí zhù yuàn le.
    He was hospitalized due to a cecum problem.

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.

盲mángblind
肠chángintestine

盲 means blind and 肠 means intestine, so 盲肠 is the blind-ended intestine.

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng盲máng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

盲 is made from 目, meaning “eye”, plus 亡, which gives the sound. The eye part relates to the meaning of blindness.

Open 盲 →

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 腸; 肠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròubody
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng腸cháng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腸 pairs 肉, the body, with 昜, which gives the sound; the simplified 肠 is a later shorthand.

Open 肠 →

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