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霓裳 (Ní cháng) — rainbow-colored clothes worn by immortals in Chinese mythology

Definition

Literary/poetic term for the rainbow-colored robes of immortals or fairies. Almost always appears in classical or poetic contexts, not everyday speech.

noun
rainbow-colored clothes worn by immortals in Chinese mythology

Examples

  • ，霓裳。
    Chuán shuō zhōng, shén xiān men dōu chuān zhuó měi lì de Ní cháng.
    Legend has it that immortals all wear beautiful rainbow-colored clothes.
  • “霓裳”。
    Zhè wèi shī rén yòng "Ní cháng" lái bǐ yù xiān nǚ de yī shang.
    This poet uses 'rainbow-colored clothes' to metaphorically describe fairy garments.
  • ，霓裳。
    Zài gǔ dài chuán shuō lǐ, Ní cháng shì bā xiān de biāo zhì zhī yī.
    In ancient legends, rainbow-colored clothes are one of the symbols of the Eight Immortals.

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.

霓nírainbow
裳shanggarment

霓 (rainbow) + 裳 (garment) means rainbow-colored clothes.

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
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
兒
兒ér霓ní
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

霓 has 雨, meaning rain, and 兒, used for the sound.

Open 霓 →

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
衣衣yīclothing
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng裳cháng
Same sound today

裳 combines 衣, which gives the meaning “clothing”, with 尚, which gives the sound shàng.

Appears in
ClothingMythology & Folklore

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