脉 (mài) — pulse; blood vessel; vein (as of ore); (figurative) network; connections
Definition
A bound morpheme, almost always used in compounds: 脉 (mài) means 'pulse / blood vessel' in medical use and 'vein' (as in a mineral seam) in geology. Figuratively it extends to networks of connections, as in 人脉.
bound form
pulseblood vesselvein (as of ore)(figurative) networkconnections
Examples
- 脉。Zhōng yī shī zhèng zài wèi tā qiè mài.The traditional Chinese medicine doctor is taking his pulse.
- 。Zhè tiáo kuàng mài mái cáng zài dì xià shēn chù.This mineral vein is buried deep underground.
- 脉。Zuò shēng yi jiǎng jiu jī lěi rén mài.Doing business requires building a network of connections.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 脈; 脉 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂢
𠂢𠂢脈mài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 脈 pairs ⺼ (flesh) with a sound part, 𠂢; the simplified 脉 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.
Appears in
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