墨迹 (mò jì) — ink marks; ink stains; (sb.'s) calligraphy or p… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary/literati term covering both physical ink traces and a calligrapher's or painter's works. Used in art-criticism contexts, far more formal than everyday 画 or 字.

noun

ink marksink stains(sb.'s) calligraphy or painting (as a work of art)

Examples

墨迹，。
Zhè zhāng zhǐ shàng yǒu yí kuài mò jì, kě néng shì dǎ fān le mò shuǐ.
There's an ink stain on this paper — maybe the ink was knocked over.
墨迹。
Zhè fú mò jì shì zhāng dà qiān de zǎo qī zuò pǐn.
This painting is an early work by Zhang Daqian.
墨迹。
Tā de mò jì bèi duō jiā bó wù guǎn shōu cáng.
His calligraphy and paintings are collected by many museums.

Origin

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.

迹jìtraces

墨 means ink and 迹 means traces, together giving ink marks.

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.

黑土墨

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔsoil

Sound part声符shēngfú

黑

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

墨 is built from 土 (soil) and 黑, with 黑 giving the sound.

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

辶Written in full as辵chuòmove

Sound part声符shēngfú

朿

朿cì迹jì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

迹 pairs 辶, a movement part, with 亦, a sound part; an older form used 朿.

Appears in

Art & Fine Arts

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