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小精灵 (xiǎo jīng líng) — elf, pixie

Definition

noun
elfpixie
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 小精灵。
    Zhè ge gù shi lǐ yǒu yí gè xiǎo jīng líng.
    There is an elf in this story.
  • 小精灵。
    Nà ge xiǎo jīng líng cháng dé hěn kě ài.
    That elf looks very cute.
  • 小精灵。
    Wán jiā kě yǐ bàn yǎn yí gè xiǎo jīng líng.
    Players can play as an elf.

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xiǎolittle
精灵spirit
精jīngspirit灵língspirit
联合Coordinate

小 means little, while 精 and 灵 both suggest spirit, so 小精灵 is a little spirit or elf.

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.

Open 小 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng精jīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

精 pairs 米 (rice) with 青, which gives the sound; the character originally meant polished rice.

Open 精 →

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 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
霝
霝líng靈líng
Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

Open 灵 →
Appears in
Mythology & Folklore

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