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绿林 (lǜ lín) — (historical) Lülin, a band of outlaws from the late Western Han dynasty; (figurative) greenwood outlaws, heroic bandits, Robin Hood-like rebels

Definition

Literally 'green forest', 绿林 refers to Robin Hood–style bandits or heroic outlaws living in the wilderness. The term is also a set-phrase alias for 绿林好汉 (greenwood heroes).

noun
(historical) Lülin, a band of outlaws from the late Western Han dynasty(figurative) greenwood outlawsheroic banditsRobin Hood-like rebels

Examples

  • 绿林。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō jiǎng de shì lǜ lín hǎo hàn de gù shi.
    This novel tells the story of greenwood heroes.
  • 绿林。
    Lì shǐ shàng yǒu hěn duō lǜ lín háo jié bèi bǎi xìng chuán sòng.
    In history, many greenwood champions were celebrated by the common people.
  • 绿林。
    Tā bǎ zì jǐ bǐ zuò lǜ lín zhōng de xiá kè.
    He compared himself to a chivalrous outlaw in the greenwood.

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.

绿lǜgreen
林línforest

绿 and 林 together evoke a green forest, historically the hiding place of outlaws.

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 綠; 绿 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
彔
彔lù綠lù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 綠 uses 糸 to show silk and 彔 for sound; the simplified 绿 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 绿 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

林 is made of two 木 (tree) placed side by side, showing many trees together, hence a forest.

Open 林 →
Appears in
Crime & PoliceHistory

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