发展史 (fā zhǎn shǐ) — development history, the history of how somethi…

Definition

noun

development history, the history of how something developed

发展史。
Zhè běn shū jì lù le zhè jiā gōng sī de fā zhǎn shǐ.
This book records the development history of this company.
发展史，。
Yán jiū yí gè guó jiā de fā zhǎn shǐ, kě yǐ liǎo jiě qí jīng jì biàn huà.
Studying a country's development history helps understand its economic changes.
发展史。
Zhōng guó gǎi gé kāi fàng zhī hòu de fā zhǎn shǐ fēi cháng jīng cǎi.
The development history of China after reform and opening is very remarkable.

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.

发展develop

联合Side by side

发展 means develop and unfold, and 史 means history, so it is the history of development.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 發; 发 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 发 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (爆发, 出发) it is 發; in others (理发, 头发) it is 髮.

The form 發, which 发 stands for in many words, was originally drawn as a bow firing an arrow.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

𧝑

𧝑𧝑展zhǎn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

展 is built from 尸 and 𧝑. The 𧝑 part points to fine red silk clothes and also contains the idea of opening or extending.

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

The old drawing showed someone holding a flag-like or writing tool, indicating the act of recording events; the exact inner shape is unclear.