贞烈 (zhēn liè) — (historical) a woman who dies to preserve her chastity; the virtue of such chastity

Definition

A historical noun for a woman who died to preserve her chastity, or that virtue itself — a culturally loaded Confucian ideal praising female fidelity under threat. Used almost only in classical texts, epitaphs, and historical writing.

noun
(historical) a woman who dies to preserve her chastitythe virtue of such chastity

Examples

  • 贞烈。
    Gǔ shí hěn duō nǚ zǐ yǐ zhēn liè wén míng.
    In ancient times many women became famous for their chastity unto death.
  • 贞烈。
    Shǐ shū jì zǎi le tā de zhēn liè shì jì.
    The historical records documented her devotion to chastity even at the cost of her life.
  • 贞烈。
    Zhè zuò gǔ bēi shì wèi jì niàn yí wèi zhēn liè nǚ zǐ ér lì.
    This ancient stele was erected to commemorate a woman who chose death to preserve her chastity.

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.

贞zhēnchaste
烈lièresolute or martyr-like

贞 means chaste and 烈 means resolute or martyr-like, so 贞烈 denotes chastity carried to martyrdom.

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 貞; 贞 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 貞 grew from a picture of a ding tripod, later changed for divination, and its lower part became unrelated to that picture; the simplified 贞 is a shorthand.

Open 贞 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
列
列liè烈liè
Same sound today

烈 pairs 列 for the sound with 灬, a form of 火 (fire).

Open 烈 →

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