新斯科舍 (Xīn sī kē shè) — Nova Scotia (province of Canada)

Definition

noun
Nova Scotia (province of Canada)

Examples

  • 新斯科舍。
    Wǒ gē ge zhù zài jiā ná dà Xīn sī kē shè.
    My older brother lives in Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • 新斯科舍。
    Xīn sī kē shè Yǐ měi lì de hǎi àn xiàn wén míng.
    Nova Scotia is famous for its beautiful coastline.
  • 新斯科舍。
    Míng nián xià tiān wǒ xiǎng qù Xīn sī kē shè lǚ yóu.
    I want to travel to Nova Scotia next summer.

Origin

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.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 斯 →

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
斗斗dòumeasuring tool
Sound part声符shēngfú
禾
禾hé科kē
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

科 pairs 禾, which gives the hé sound, with 斗, a measuring tool.

Open 科 →

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
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú舍shè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

舍 is 余 plus 口. 余 was the original picture for this word, and 口 was later added to distinguish it.

Open 舍 →

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