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文献 (wén xiàn) — academic literature, historical document (including research papers, archives, and scholarly texts)

Definition

文献 refers to scholarly or historical written records (research papers, archives, ancient texts). 文件 is everyday 'document/file', 文档 is a computer file — 文献 is more formal and academic.

noun
academic literaturehistorical document (including research papers, archives, and scholarly texts)
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 文献。
    Zhè piān wén xiàn yǐn yòng le hěn duō zuì xīn shù jù.
    This document cites a lot of the latest data.
  • 文献。
    Yán jiū lì shǐ bì xū yī kào kě kào de wén xiàn.
    Studying history must rely on reliable documents.
  • 文献。
    Tú shū guǎn shōu cáng le dà liàng gǔ dài wén xiàn.
    The library houses a large collection of ancient documents.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

文wéntext
献xiànrecord

文 (text) and 献 (record) together mean written documents.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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 獻; 献 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
鬳
鬳yàn獻xiàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 獻 combines 鬳, which gives the sound, with 犬, a dog. The simplified 献 is a later shorthand.

Open 献 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6HistoryReading & Writing

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