靖 (jìng) — (bound form) to pacify; to stabilize; peace, tranquility

Definition

A literary/bound morpheme meaning 'pacify, stabilize' — almost always part of set phrases like 绥靖 (appeasement) or 靖边 (pacify the frontier). Rarely stands alone in modern Chinese.

bound form
to pacifyto stabilizepeacetranquility
Easily confused

Examples

  • 靖。
    Lì shǐ shàng zhè cì jìng nán zhī yì gǎi biàn le wáng cháo de mìng yùn.
    This historical campaign to quell the rebellion changed the dynasty's fate.
  • 绥靖。
    Suí jìng zhèng cè bìng wèi zhēn zhèng dài lái hé píng.
    The policy of appeasement did not truly bring peace.
  • 靖。
    Nà wèi jiāng jūn fèng mìng jìng biān duō nián.
    That general was ordered to pacify the frontier for many years.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
立立lìto stand; to establish
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng靖jìng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

靖 pairs 立, meaning to stand or establish, with 青, which gives the sound.

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