乐歌 (yuè gē) — music and song; accompanied songs | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

乐歌 (lègē) is a literary/archaic term for 'music and song' as a combined art form, often the sung, accompanied pieces performed at banquets or in ancient texts. It is more formal and historical than the everyday 音乐.

noun

music and songaccompanied songs

Measure word · 首

Examples

。
Gǔ rén cháng zài yàn huì shàng yǎn zòu yuè gē.
Ancient people often performed music and song at banquets.
乐歌。
Zhè bù diǎn jí shōu lù le xǔ duō gǔ dài yuè gē.
This classic text collects many ancient accompanied songs.
乐歌。
Tā men yǐ yuè gē qìng zhù fēng shōu.
They celebrated the harvest with music and song.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

乐 music and 歌 song, so the word covers music and songs or songs with music.

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 樂; 乐 is its simplified writing.

絲絲sīstring
木木mùwood

In the traditional form 樂, 絲 (string) with 木 (wood) shows strings on a piece of wood, a musical instrument; the simplified 乐 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

哥欠歌

Meaning part形符xíngfú

欠欠qiànblow

Sound part声符shēngfú

哥

哥gē歌gē

Same sound today

The shape 歌 uses 哥 for the sound and 欠, meaning blow. It came from a form of 哥 used for singing.

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