古生物学家 (gǔ shēng wù xué jiā) — paleobiologist; paleontologist

Definition

noun
paleobiologistpaleontologist
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 古生物学家。
    Zhè wèi gǔ shēng wù xué jiā fā xiàn le xǔ duō huà shí.
    This paleontologist discovered many fossils.
  • 古生物学家。
    gǔ shēng wù xué jiā Zài yán jiū kǒng lóng de shí hou huā le hěn duō shí jiān.
    Paleontologists spent a lot of time studying dinosaurs.
  • 古生物学家。
    Wǒ xiǎng chéng wéi yí wèi gǔ shēng wù xué jiā.
    I want to become a paleontologist.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

古生物学paleontology
古gǔancient生shēnglife物wùthing学xuéstudy
偏正Modifier + head
家jiāspecialist

古生物学 is the study of ancient living things, and 家 denotes a specialist in that field.

Characters in this word

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

One reading of 古 sees a shield-like shape above an open mark, showing strength and firmness. Another sees a person spitting out bad-tasting food.

Open 古 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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 學; 学 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 學 may have used 爻 and 六 for sound, with hands and a child added later; the simplified 学 is a shorthand.

Open 学 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

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