叟 (sǒu) — old man (bound form, used in literary or compound contexts)
Definition
A literary, bound-form word for 'old man / elder.' Almost never used alone — it appears inside set phrases (老叟) or literary compounds (智叟, 叟童) in classical-style writing.
bound form
old man (bound form, used in literary or compound contexts)
Examples
- 叟。Nà wèi sǒu tóng zhèng zài hé biān diào yú.That old man and child are fishing by the river.
- 叟。Cūn zhōng de lǎo sǒu cháng cháng gěi hái zi men jiǎng gù shi.The elderly man in the village often tells stories to children.
- 叟，。Gǔ sǒu zhī zhì huì, zhí dé xiàn dài rén xué xí.The wisdom of ancient elders is worth learning by modern people.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
叟 was originally 叜, showing 又 (a hand) holding 火 (fire) under 宀 (a roof), like a torch in a house. This shape was the original form of the character meaning 'to search'.
Appears in
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