先河 (xiān hé) — forerunner, pioneer; the first of its kind

Definition

先河 refers to the first instance or pioneer of something — always used in the set phrase 开先河 / 开创先河 ('to set a precedent, to be the first of its kind'), not as a standalone noun. It emphasizes being a forerunner that later things follow.

noun
forerunnerpioneerthe first of its kind

Examples

  • 先河。
    Tā de yán jiū kāi chuàng le gāi lǐng yù de xiān hé.
    His research pioneered the field.
  • 先河。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō bèi rèn wéi shì xiàn dài wén xué de xiān hé.
    This novel is considered the forerunner of modern literature.
  • 先河。
    Zhè xiàng zhèng cè wèi hòu lái de gǎi gé kāi le xiān hé.
    This policy set a precedent for later reforms.

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.

先xiānfirst
河hériver

In an ancient ritual allusion, 先 means first and 河 means river, so the phrase came to mean the first of its kind.

Characters in this word

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

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
何
何hé河hé
Same sound today

河 pairs 水 (water) with 何, which gives the sound. The 水 part marks it as a word for a river.

Open 河 →

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