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轶事 (yì shì) — anecdote (variant of 逸事)

Definition

A written or literary term for 'anecdote', especially a little-known historical story. Less common than 故事; used in formal writing, not everyday speech.

noun
anecdote (variant of 逸事)

Examples

  • 轶事。
    Tā jiǎng le yí gè yǒu qù de yì shì.
    He told an interesting anecdote.
  • 轶事。
    Zhè běn shū lǐ yǒu hěn duō lì shǐ yì shì.
    This book has many historical anecdotes.
  • 轶事。
    Zhè xiē yì shì dōu shì bié rén bù zhī dào de.
    These anecdotes are all unknown to others.

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.

轶yìscattered
事shìmatters

轶 (scattered) and 事 (matters) form little-known stories.

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 軼; 轶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jū
Sound part声符shēngfú
失
失shī軼
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 軼 is made of 車 and 失, with 失 giving the sound; the simplified 轶 is a later shorthand.

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

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →
Appears in
Literature & Poetry

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