频谱 (pín pǔ) — spectrum

Definition

noun
spectrum

Examples

  • 频谱。
    Diàn cí pín pǔ bāo kuò gè zhǒng pín lǜ de bō.
    The electromagnetic spectrum includes waves of various frequencies.
  • 频谱。
    Zhè tái yí qì kě yǐ fēn xī xìn hào de pín pǔ.
    This instrument can analyze the spectrum of a signal.
  • 频谱。
    Guāng de pín pǔ cóng hóng sè dào zǐ sè lián xù biàn huà.
    The spectrum of light continuously changes from red to violet.

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.

频pínfrequency
谱pǔspectrum/record

频 as frequency and 谱 as a recorded range combine to mean spectrum or spectrogram.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頻; 频 is its simplified writing.

For 频, the traditional form 頻 came from an older form showing a person near water and meaning 'on the verge'; one part was later removed to mark the 'frequent' use.

Open 频 →

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 譜; 谱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsound
Sound part声符shēngfú
普
普pǔ譜pǔ(r)
Same sound today

In the traditional form 譜, 言 relates to sound and 普 gives the pronunciation; this explanation is about 譜, not the simplified 谱.

Open 谱 →

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