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黄道 (huáng dào) — (astronomy) ecliptic

Definition

The ecliptic: the apparent path the Sun traces across the sky over a year, used as the reference plane for the zodiac (黄道十二宫) and solar terms (节气).

noun
(astronomy) ecliptic

Examples

  • 黄道。
    huáng dào Shì tài yáng zài tiān kōng zhōng yùn xíng de guǐ jì.
    The ecliptic is the path of the Sun across the sky.
  • 。
    Huáng dào shí èr gōng yǔ xīng zuò de wèi zhì yǒu guān.
    The twelve zodiac signs are related to the positions of the constellations.
  • 黄道。
    Gǔ dài tiān wén xué jiā tōng guò huáng dào lái yù cè jié qì.
    Ancient astronomers used the ecliptic to predict solar terms.

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.

黄huángyellow
道dàopath

黄 means yellow and 道 means path, giving the astronomical yellow path of the sun.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →
Appears in
Sky & Space

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