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阿里 (A lǐ) — Ali (common Arabic/Islamic name); Alibaba Group (e-commerce company, abbreviation); Ngari (prefecture in Tibet)

Definition

A multi-referent name spelled with Arabic 'Alī', the e-commerce company 阿里巴巴, and the western Tibetan prefecture 阿里地区 — pick the meaning from context, since the same pinyin covers all three.

noun
Ali (common Arabic/Islamic name)Alibaba Group (e-commerce company, abbreviation)Ngari (prefecture in Tibet)

Examples

  • 阿里，。
    A lǐ Shì yī sī lán jiào dì sì rèn hā lǐ fā, shēn shòu shí yè pài jiào tú zūn jìng.
    Ali is the fourth caliph of Islam and is deeply respected by Shia Muslims.
  • 阿里。
    A lǐ De diàn shāng píng tái zhàn jù le zhōng guó shì chǎng hěn dà fèn é.
    Alibaba's e-commerce platform occupies a large share of the Chinese market.
  • 阿里，。
    A lǐ Dì qū wèi yú xī zàng xī bù, hǎi bá hěn gāo.
    Ngari Prefecture is located in western Tibet, with very high altitude.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
可
可kě阿ā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The part 阜 points to a mound, and 可 gives the pronunciation; 阿 originally meant a big mound.

Open 阿 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →
Appears in
China — Places

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