神经痛 (shén jīng tòng) — neuralgia (nerve pain)

Definition

noun
neuralgia (nerve pain)

Examples

  • 神经痛。
    Tā zuì jìn bèi shén jīng tòng zhé mó dé shuì bù zháo jué.
    She has been tormented by neuralgia recently and can't sleep.
  • 神经痛。
    Yī shēng kāi le yì xiē yào lái huǎn jiě shén jīng tòng.
    The doctor prescribed some medication to relieve the neuralgia.
  • 神经痛。
    Zhè zhǒng shén jīng tòng tōng cháng shì yóu bìng dú gǎn rǎn yǐn qǐ de.
    This type of neuralgia is usually caused by a viral infection.

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.

神经nerve
神shénspirit经jīngmeridian
偏正Modifier + head
痛tòngpain

The 神经 part, meaning nerve, and 痛, meaning pain, give the sense of nerve pain.

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
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn神shén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng經jīng
Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Open 经 →

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
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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