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州里 (zhōu lǐ) — (ancient) administrative district covering a zhou and its constituent li; neighborhood, locality (in historical or literary contexts)

Definition

An historical/literary noun for a small local area, combining the ancient 'zhou' (a large administrative district) with 'li' (its subdivisions). Used in texts about traditional Chinese governance or to evoke a regional, small-community feel.

noun
(ancient) administrative district covering a zhou and its constituent lineighborhoodlocality (in historical or literary contexts)

Examples

  • 州里。
    Gǔ dài zhōng guó de zhōu lǐ zhì dù shì dì fāng zhì lǐ de jī chǔ.
    The zhou-li system in ancient China was the foundation of local governance.
  • 州里。
    Tā cóng xiǎo zài nán fāng de yí gè xiǎo zhōu lǐ lǐ zhǎng dà.
    He grew up in a small locality in the south.
  • 州里。
    Zhè piàn zhōu lǐ de jū mín zhì jīn bǎo liú zhe chuán tǒng xí sú.
    The residents of this neighborhood still keep traditional customs.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

州zhōuprefecture
里lǐneighborhood

州 and 里 are paired administrative units, so the word names a district or locality.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

州 originally drew an islet in a river.

Open 州 →

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 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →
Appears in
History

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