东正教 (Dōng zhèng jiào) — Eastern Orthodox Church

Definition

Refers to the Eastern Orthodox Church, one of the main branches of Christianity. Often contrasted with 天主教 (Catholicism) in Chinese; the two share roots but split historically in 1054 and differ in ritual and doctrine.

noun
Eastern Orthodox Church

Examples

  • 东正教。
    Zhè zuò jiàn zhù shì dāng dì zuì gǔ lǎo de Dōng zhèng jiào jiào táng.
    This building is the oldest Eastern Orthodox church in the area.
  • 东正教。
    Dōng zhèng jiào De jié rì hé tiān zhǔ jiào yǒu hěn duō bù tóng.
    The festivals of the Eastern Orthodox Church are very different from those of Catholicism.
  • 东正教，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo shòu Dōng zhèng jiào xǐ lǐ, xìn yǎng fēi cháng qián chéng.
    He was baptized into the Eastern Orthodox Church as a child and is very devout in his faith.

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.

东dōngeast
正教
正zhèngorthodox教jiàoteaching
偏正Modifier + head

东 gives eastern, 正 orthodox, and 教 teaching, naming the Eastern Orthodox teaching.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 東; 东 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 東 originally drew a full bag tied at both ends. The simplified 东 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 东 →

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
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

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
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

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