崖 (yá) — cliff, precipice
Definition
A bound literary/formal word for 'cliff / precipice,' almost always part of a compound like 悬崖 or 山崖. In everyday speech, 悬崖 is the form you will see and use.
bound form
cliffprecipice
Examples
- 。Zhè zuò shān de xuán yá fēi cháng dǒu qiào.The cliff of this mountain is very steep.
- 。Tā men yán zhe shān yá zǒu le yí gè xiǎo shí.They walked along the cliff for an hour.
- ，。Cóng xuán yá shàng wǎng xià kàn, fēng jǐng hěn měi.Looking down from the cliff, the scenery is beautiful.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Sound part声符shēngfú
厓
厓yá崖yá
Same sound today
崖 pairs 山 (mountain) with 厓 (cliff), and 厓 gives the sound yá.
Appears in
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