北回归线 (Běi huí guī xiàn) — Tropic of Cancer

Definition

noun
Tropic of Cancer

Examples

  • 北回归线。
    Běi huí guī xiàn Shì dì qiú shàng yì tiáo zhòng yào de wěi dù xiàn.
    The Tropic of Cancer is an important line of latitude on Earth.
  • ，北回归线。
    Měi nián xià zhì, tài yáng zhí shè Běi huí guī xiàn.
    Every year at the summer solstice, the sun shines directly on the Tropic of Cancer.
  • 北回归线，。
    Chuān yuè Běi huí guī xiàn hòu, qì hòu huì biàn de gèng jiā yán rè.
    After crossing the Tropic of Cancer, the climate becomes even hotter.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The form 北 shows two people standing back to back. It originally meant 'back'.

Open 北 →

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

回 comes from a drawing of a spiral, showing something turning around.

Open 回 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歸; 归 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤ancient form of {{zh-l|*師|troops}}
  • 帚帚zhǒubroom; sweep

The traditional form 歸 combines 𠂤 (troops) and 帚 (broom; sweep) to show sweeping away an enemy and returning; the simplified 归 is a later abbreviation.

Open 归 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
泉
泉quán線xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

Open 线 →

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