南回归线 (Nán huí guī xiàn) — Tropic of Capricorn

Definition

noun
Tropic of Capricorn

Examples

  • 南回归线。
    Nán huí guī xiàn Shì yì tiáo zhòng yào de wěi xiàn.
    The Tropic of Capricorn is an important line of latitude.
  • 南回归线。
    Ào dà lì yà běi bù zài Nán huí guī xiàn fù jìn.
    The northern part of Australia is near the Tropic of Capricorn.
  • 南回归线。
    Dì lǐ kè shàng lǎo shī jiè shào le Nán huí guī xiàn de wèi zhì.
    In geography class, the teacher introduced the location of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Origin

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 南 →

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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