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可汗 (kè hán) — khan (title of a supreme chief among ancient Mongol, Turkic, and other nomadic peoples)

Definition

Historical title for the supreme ruler of Mongol, Turkic, and other steppe nomads. Different from 皇帝 (Chinese imperial emperor): 可汗 is specifically the title used by nomadic peoples across Central and North Asia.

noun
khan (title of a supreme chief among ancient Mongol, Turkic, and other nomadic peoples)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 可汗。
    Chéng jí sī hán shì lì shǐ shàng zuì zhù míng de kè hán.
    Genghis Khan is the most famous khan in history.
  • ，可汗。
    Zài gǔ dài, kè hán tǒng lǐng zhěng gè bù luò.
    In ancient times, the khan ruled the entire tribe.
  • 可汗。
    Zhè běn xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le yí wèi měng gǔ kè hán de chuán qí yì shēng.
    This novel depicts the legendary life of a Mongol khan.

Origin

Characters in this word

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
干
干gān汗hàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

汗 has 水, the water form, beside 干; 水 relates to liquid sweat, while 干 gives the sound.

Open 汗 →
Appears in
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