异体 (yì tǐ) — (attributive) variant (said of Chinese characters with the same meaning but different form); (attributive) allogeneic (transplanted from a genetically different individual of the same species)

Definition

An attributive adjective: 异体字 means a 'variant character' (same meaning, different written form); 异体移植 is an 'allogeneic transplant' (donor of the same species but not genetically identical).

adjective
(attributive) variant (said of Chinese characters with the same meaning but different form)(attributive) allogeneic (transplanted from a genetically different individual of the same species)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 异体，。
    Zhè běn shū shōu lù le hěn duō yì tǐ zì, xū yào duì zhào cái néng kàn dǒng.
    This book includes many variant characters; you need to compare them to understand.
  • 异体。
    yì tǐ Yí zhí shǒu shù zài yī xué shàng yǐ jīng xiāng dāng chéng shú le.
    Allogeneic transplant surgery is already quite mature in medicine.
  • ，异体。
    Yán jiū gǔ wén zì shí, liǎo jiě yì tǐ zì fēi cháng guān jiàn.
    When studying ancient characters, understanding variant characters is very important.

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.

异yìdifferent
体tǐform

The sense of 异 (different) applied to 体 (form) gives an alternative form.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 異 depicts a person with a mask 田 over the face, so the face looks different. The simplified 异 is a later shorthand.

Open 异 →

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 體; 体 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
骨骨gǔbone
Sound part声符shēngfú
豊
豊lǐ體tǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 體 pairs 骨 (bone) with 豊 as a sound part; this note is about 體, not about the parts of 体.

Open 体 →

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