小熊座 (xiǎo xióng zuò) — Ursa Minor (constellation) | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

Ursa Minor (constellation)

Examples

小熊座。
Wǎn shàng kě yǐ kàn dào xiǎo xióng zuò.
You can see Ursa Minor at night.
小熊座。
xiǎo xióng zuò Lǐ yǒu yì kē hěn liàng de xīng.
There is a very bright star in Ursa Minor.
小熊座？
Nǐ rèn shi xiǎo xióng zuò ma?
Do you recognize Ursa Minor?

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.

小熊little bear

小xiǎolittle熊xióngbear

偏正Modifier + head

座zuòconstellation

小 little and 熊 bear combine with 座 to name the smaller bear constellation.

Characters in this word

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

八八bāto divide; to separate
丨丨gǔnsmall object

The shape of 小 comes from three small dots, later elongated into its strokes; the apparent parts 八 and 丨 are a later way of seeing it.

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

能能néngbear

Sound part声符shēngfú

炎

炎yán熊xióng

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

熊 is made of 能 and 炎. It originally represented a word for raging flame; when 能 was borrowed for another word, 熊 came to write 'bear'.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

广坐座

Meaning part形符xíngfú

广广guǎnghouse on cliff

Sound part声符shēngfú

坐

坐zuò座zuò

Same sound today

座 pairs 广, a house on a cliff, with 坐 to give the sound.

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