军械 (jūn xiè) — armament, military equipment, weapons

Definition

noun
armamentmilitary equipmentweapons
Measure word · 件

Examples

  • 。
    jūn xiè Kù shì cún fàng wǔ qì de dì fāng.
    The armory is a place to store weapons.
  • 军械。
    Zhè pī jūn xiè xū yào dìng qī jiǎn chá wéi hù.
    This batch of armament requires regular inspection and maintenance.
  • 军械。
    Tā fù zé jūn xiè de yùn shū hé bǎo guǎn.
    He is responsible for the transportation and storage of armament.

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.

军jūnmilitary
械xièweapon

军 (military) and 械 (weapon) combine for military weapons or equipment.

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 軍; 军 is its simplified writing.

  • 車車jūcart; chariot
  • 勹勹bāoto surround

In the traditional form 軍, 車 shows the chariot sense, while the part now written 勹 is a sound part, not the 'surround' 勹. Simplified 军 is a later shorthand.

Open 军 →

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
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
戒
戒jiè械xiè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

械 pairs 木, meaning wood, with 戒 for sound. The early sense was handcuffs or shackles, later extended to devices.

Open 械 →

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