陵 (líng) — (bound form) hill, mound (e.g., 丘陵); (bound form) imperial tomb, mausoleum (e.g., 陵墓, 皇陵)
Definition
A bound morpheme with two main senses: a natural hill/mound (as in 丘陵 'hills') and an imperial tomb or mausoleum (as in 陵墓, 皇陵). Always appears as part of a compound — never used alone.
bound form
hillmound (e.g., 丘陵)imperial tombmausoleum (e.g., 陵墓, 皇陵)
Examples
- 。Yuǎn chù yǒu lián mián de qiū líng.There are rolling hills in the distance.
- 。Zhè zuò huáng dì líng mù yǐ jīng yǒu qiān nián lì shǐ.This imperial mausoleum has a history of a thousand years.
- 陵。Qīng míng shí jié wǒ men qù líng yuán sǎo mù.During Qingming Festival we go to the cemetery to visit graves.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
- 阜阜fùmound
- 夌夌língmound; hill
The shape pairs 阜 (mound) with 夌, an earlier form meaning “mound; hill” that gives the sound.
Appears in
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