蜡油 (là yóu) — melted candle wax, candle drippings | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

melted candle waxcandle drippings

Measure word · 滴

Examples

，蜡油。
Là zhú shāo de shí hou, là yóu huì dī xià lái.
When a candle burns, the melted wax will drip down.
蜡油。
Tā bǎ là yóu shōu jí qǐ lái zuò xīn là zhú.
She collects the candle drippings to make new candles.
蜡油。
Zhuō zi shàng de là yóu yǐ jīng níng gù le.
The candle wax on the table has already solidified.

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.

蜡 names wax and 油 names an oily substance, so the word means candle wax that has melted and dripped.

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 蠟; 蜡 is its simplified writing.

虫巤蠟

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect

Sound part声符shēngfú

巤

巤liè蠟là

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蠟 has 虫 (insect) and 巤 (sound); the simplified 蜡 is a shorthand.

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

氵由油

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

由

由yóu油yóu

Same sound today

油 is built from 氵, a water part, and 由, which supplies the sound.

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