斋月 (Zhāi yuè) — Ramadan (the Islamic holy month of fasting); (Buddhism) the first, fifth, and ninth lunar months observed as periods of vegetarianism and purification

Definition

In Islam, 斋月 (Zāiyuè) is the name of the holy month of Ramadan. In Chinese Buddhism, it also refers to the 1st, 5th, and 9th lunar months set aside for vegetarian fasting.

noun
Ramadan (the Islamic holy month of fasting)(Buddhism) the first, fifth, and ninth lunar months observed as periods of vegetarianism and purification

Examples

  • 斋月。
    Mù sī lín zài Zhāi yuè qī jiān cóng rì chū dào rì luò jìn shí.
    Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan.
  • 斋月，。
    Hěn duō fó jiào tú zài Zhāi yuè lǐ zhī chī sù, bú zuò hūn xīng.
    Many Buddhists eat only vegetarian food and avoid meat dishes during the observance months.
  • 斋月，。
    Jīn nián de Zhāi yuè zhèng hǎo gǎn shàng shǔ jià, tā jì huà qù mài jiā cháo jìn.
    This year's Ramadan coincides with summer vacation, so he plans to go on pilgrimage to Mecca.

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.

斋zhāifasting
月yuèmonth

“斋” refers to fasting or abstinence, and “月” refers to a month.

Characters in this word

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 齋; 斋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
齊
齊qí齋zhāi
Same sound today

The traditional form 齋 pairs 示 (deity) with 齊 as a sound part; the simplified 斋 is a shorthand.

Open 斋 →

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

月 was drawn as a crescent moon, with the curved outline showing the moon’s shape.

Open 月 →

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