词曲 (cí qū) — general term for ci and qu poetry (classical Chinese poetic forms)

Definition

词曲 (cí qǔ) is a paired literary term referring to two classical Chinese poetry forms together: 词 (lyric poems) and 曲 (song/aria poetry). It is used as a collective label, especially for Song-era and later works.

noun
general term for ci and qu poetry (classical Chinese poetic forms)

Examples

  • 。
    Tā zhuān mén yán jiū sòng dài cí qū.
    He specializes in Song dynasty ci and qu poetry.
  • 词曲。
    Zhè běn cí qū xuǎn jí bāo kuò le hěn duō míng zuò.
    This anthology of ci and qu includes many famous works.
  • 词曲，。
    Tā shàn cháng chuàng zuò cí qū, yóu qí shì cí.
    She is good at composing ci and qu, especially ci.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

词cíci poetry
曲qǔqu poetry

词 and 曲 name two parallel classical poetic forms, giving a general term for both.

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 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

曲 is drawn as a bent object, matching the meaning 'bend'.

Open 曲 →

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