荧光灯 (yíng guāng dēng) — fluorescent lamp

Definition

noun

fluorescent lamp

Measure word · 支

荧光灯，。
Bàn gōng shì de yíng guāng dēng huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè.
The fluorescent lamp in the office is broken and needs to be replaced.
荧光灯。
Zhè zhǒng yíng guāng dēng bǐ pǔ tōng dēng pào gèng shěng diàn.
This type of fluorescent lamp saves more electricity than ordinary bulbs.
荧光灯。
Tā mǎi le yì zhǎn xīn de yíng guāng dēng fàng zài shū fáng lǐ.
He bought a new fluorescent lamp and put it in the study.

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.

荧光fluorescent light

荧yíngfaint glowing光guānglight

偏正Modifier + head

"荧" evokes a faint glowing light, "光" means light, and "灯" names a lamp using that kind of light.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 熒; 荧 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 熒 comes from an older picture of two crossed torches giving fire light; the simplified 荧 is a later shorthand.

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

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

火丁灯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灯 pairs 火, which shows fire, with 丁, which gives the sound.

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