远东 (yuǎn dōng) — the Far East | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A historical, Eurocentric term (lit. "Far East") for East Asia, used mainly in formal, diplomatic, or academic writing. Distinct from the everyday geographic term 亚洲 (Asia).

noun

the Far East

Examples

远东。
yuǎn dōng Dì qū de lì shǐ wén huà fēi cháng fēng fù.
The Far East region has a very rich history and culture.
，远东。
Shí jiǔ shì jì, xǔ duō ōu zhōu tàn xiǎn jiā qián wǎng yuǎn dōng.
In the 19th century, many European explorers traveled to the Far East.
远东。
yuǎn dōng De jīng jì fā zhǎn sù dù lìng rén zhǔ mù.
The pace of economic development in the Far East has been remarkable.

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.

远东 pairs 远 (far) and 东 (east) to name the distant eastern region.

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.

辶元远

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

元

元yuán远yuǎn

Same sound today

远 combines 辶, meaning walk, with 元, used for its sound.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 東; 东 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 東 originally drew a full bag tied at both ends. The simplified 东 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Appears in

Geography & Landforms

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