引证 (yǐn zhèng) — to cite as evidence, to quote in support of an…

Definition

引证 (yǐn zhèng) means 'to cite as evidence' — formal, academic/legal usage, quoting sources to support an argument.

verb

to cite as evidence, to quote in support of an argument

引证。
Tā zài lùn wén zhōng yǐn zhèng le dà liàng lì shǐ zī liào.
He cited a large amount of historical material as evidence in his thesis.
引证。
Fǎ guān yāo qiú lǜ shī yǐn zhèng xiāng guān fǎ lǜ tiáo wén.
The judge asked the lawyer to cite the relevant legal provisions as evidence.
，引证。
Wèi le zhèng míng zhè ge guān diǎn, tā yǐn zhèng le sān gè bù tóng de lì zi.
To prove this point, he cited three different examples as evidence.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

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

Both 引 and 证 carry the sense of quoting or citing, so together they mean to cite as evidence.

Characters in this word

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

引 is made from 弓, a bow, and 丿, a short slant stroke added at the place where the string is pulled, marking the action of drawing or pulling.

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 證; 证 is its simplified writing.

言登證

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

登

登dēng證zhèng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 證 pairs 言, a words/speech part, with 登 as a sound clue; the simplified 证 is a later shorthand.