上溯 (shǎng) — to sail upstream; to trace back to (historical origins, tradition, ancestor)
Definition
Literary verb meaning 'to trace back to' (an origin, tradition, or historical source) — the abstract figurative sense, not just literal sailing upstream.
verb
to sail upstreamto trace back to (historical origins, tradition, ancestor)
Examples
- 溯。Xiǎo chuán zài jiāng shàng nì shuǐ shǎng.The small boat sailed upstream against the current on the river.
- 上溯。Zhè ge xí sú kě yǐ shǎng dào táng dài.This custom can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty.
- 上溯。Tā huā le duō nián shí jiān shǎng jiā zú lì shǐ.He spent many years tracing back his family history.
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