十二指肠 (shí èr zhǐ cháng) — duodenum

Definition

The duodenum: the first, shortest section of the small intestine, connecting the stomach to the jejunum. Named for its length of about twelve finger-widths (十二指 = twelve fingers).

noun
duodenum

Examples

  • 十二指肠。
    Yī shēng tōng guò jiǎn chá fā xiàn tā de shí èr zhǐ cháng yǒu yán zhèng.
    The doctor found inflammation in his duodenum through examination.
  • 十二指肠，。
    shí èr zhǐ cháng Shì xiǎo cháng de yí bù fen, fù zé xiāo huà shí wù.
    The duodenum is part of the small intestine and is responsible for digesting food.
  • 十二指肠。
    Tā yīn wèi shí èr zhǐ cháng kuì yáng zhù le hǎo jǐ tiān yī yuàn.
    He was hospitalized for several days because of a duodenal ulcer.

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.

十二指twelve fingers
十shíten二èrtwo指zhǐfinger
偏正Modifier + head
肠chángintestine

十二指 means twelve fingers, the old length measure, and 肠 names the gut; together they give the duodenum.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The early shape 十 was mostly a single vertical stroke, sometimes with a dot, and later gained a horizontal stroke to form a cross. For the number ten, it marked the next digit above one.

Open 十 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

二 is drawn as two parallel strokes, where the number of strokes shows the amount.

Open 二 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
旨
旨zhǐ指zhǐ
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is the hand form 手. The right part 旨 gives the sound.

Open 指 →

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 腸; 肠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròubody
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng腸cháng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 腸 pairs 肉, the body, with 昜, which gives the sound; the simplified 肠 is a later shorthand.

Open 肠 →

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