域 (yù) — (bound form) domain; region; area

Definition

域 (yù) is a bound morpheme meaning 'domain / region' — it never stands alone but combines in set terms like 领域 (lǐngyù, 'field/domain') or 区域 (qūyù, 'region/area').

bound form
domainregionarea
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè ge lǐng yù hěn guǎng kuò.
    This domain is very broad.
  • 。
    Zhè ge qū yù de jīng jì hěn fā dá.
    The economy of this region is very developed.
  • 域。
    Wǒ men shēn qǐng le yí gè xīn de wǎng yù.
    We applied for a new domain name.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò域yù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

域 uses 土, earth or soil, to show it is about land, and 或 to suggest its pronunciation.

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