县 (xiàn) — county
Definition
县 (xiàn) is a county — an administrative division in China, larger than a town (镇) and smaller than a city (市). Used as a unit of geography, e.g. 这个县.
noun
county
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
- 悬xuánlook-aliketo hang, to suspend
- 线xiànsound-alikethread; string; wire; line
- 献xiànsound-aliketo offer, to present (with respect, e.g. flowers, gifts, opinion)
- 陷xiànsound-aliketo sink into, to get stuck in (physical substance); to cave in
- 限xiànsound-aliketo limit; to restrict
- 馅xiànsound-alikefilling, stuffing (for dumplings, pies, etc.)
Examples
- 县。Zhè ge xiàn yǒu wǔ shí wàn rén kǒu.This county has a population of 500,000.
- 县。Tā chū shēng de xiàn lí zhè lǐ hěn yuǎn.The county where he was born is very far from here.
- 县。Nà ge xiàn de jīng jì fā zhǎn hěn kuài.That county's economy is developing very fast.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 縣; 县 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 縣, not the simplified 县, drew an eye 目 standing for a head hung by a string 糸 from a tree 木. It was borrowed for its sound to write the modern meaning "county", so that picture is unrelated.
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