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摇摆舞 (yáo bǎi wǔ) — waggle dance (of bees, a communication dance); rock and roll (dance style)

Definition

Two unrelated meanings: the bee 'waggle dance' (a communication pattern) and 'rock and roll' as a 1950s dance style. Same word, very different referents — disambiguate by context.

noun
waggle dance (of bees, a communication dance)rock and roll (dance style)
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 摇摆舞。
    Mì fēng tōng guò yáo bǎi wǔ gào sù tóng bàn huā mì de wèi zhì.
    Bees use the waggle dance to tell their companions the location of nectar.
  • 摇摆舞。
    Tā men nián qīng shí zuì xǐ huan tiào yáo bǎi wǔ.
    When they were young, they loved to dance rock and roll the most.
  • 摇摆舞。
    Zhè zhǒng yáo bǎi wǔ zài èr shí shì jì wǔ shí nián dài fēi cháng liú xíng.
    This kind of rock and roll dance was very popular in the 1950s.

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.

摇摆sway
摇yáosway摆bǎiswing
联合Coordinate
舞wǔdance

摇 and 摆 suggest swaying and swinging, and 舞 is a dance.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 摇 →

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 擺; 摆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
罷
罷bà擺bǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 擺 has 手 (hand) with 罷 giving the sound bà; the simplified 摆 is a later shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 摆 →

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
舛舛chuǎnsteps, feet in convergent direction
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú舞wǔ
Same sound today

舞 combines 舛, showing feet in converging steps, with 無 above. 無 gave the sound and also preserved its older meaning of dancing, so the shape points to dancing.

Open 舞 →
Appears in
Dance & Performance

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