赎身 (shú shēn) — to buy back one's freedom (historically for slaves, prostitutes, or indentured servants)

Definition

Historical term: to pay to free oneself from bondage (slaves, prostitutes, indentured servants) in pre-modern China. Used in classical or historical contexts, not daily speech.

verb
to buy back one's freedom (historically for slaves, prostitutes, or indentured servants)

Examples

  • 赎身。
    Tā yòng le shí nián cái shú shēn.
    It took him ten years to buy back his freedom.
  • ，。
    Tā shú le shēn, zhōng yú kě yǐ huí jiā.
    She bought back her freedom and finally could go home.
  • 赎身。
    Gǔ dài hěn duō rén bèi pò shú shēn.
    In ancient times many people were forced to buy back their freedom.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

赎shúbuy back/redeem
身shēnbody/self

赎 (buy back) and 身 (body/self) form the idea of buying back one's freedom.

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 贖; 赎 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧶠
𧶠𧶠贖shú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 贖 pairs 貝 (shell) with the sound part 𧶠; the simplified 赎 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 赎 →

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

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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