哑语 (yā yǔ) — sign language (older term)

Definition

Literally 'mute language' — an older or less common term for sign language. The everyday word today is 手语.

noun

sign language (older term)

哑语。
Tā xué xí yā yǔ yǐ jīng sān nián le.
He has been studying sign language for three years.
哑语。
Hěn duō lóng yǎ rén yòng yā yǔ jiāo liú.
Many deaf people communicate using sign language.
哑语。
Nà wèi lǎo shī shì yā yǔ fān yì.
That teacher is a sign language interpreter.

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.

语yǔlanguage

哑 means mute and 语 means language; together they name the language used by mute people.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 啞; 哑 is its simplified writing.

口亞啞

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

亞

亞yā啞

Same sound today

In the traditional form 啞, 口 shows the idea of mouth, and 亞 supplies the pronunciation; the simplified 哑 is a later shorthand.

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 語; 语 is its simplified writing.

言吾語

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

吾

Same sound today

The form 語 pairs 言 (speech) with 吾, which gives the sound; this note is about 語, not 语.