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族长 (zú cháng) — head of a clan or lineage

Definition

族长 is the hereditary or appointed head of a 宗族 (clan or lineage), holding authority over ancestral rites, land, and dispute resolution. Often translated as 'patriarch' in older contexts.

noun
head of a clan or lineage
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • ，族长。
    Zài chuán tǒng shè huì lǐ, zú cháng shì jiā zú de zuì gāo jué cè zhě.
    In traditional society, the clan head is the highest decision-maker of the lineage.
  • 族长。
    Nà wèi zú cháng dài lǐng zú rén xiū jiàn le cí táng.
    That clan head led the clan members to build the ancestral hall.
  • 族长。
    Tā zì yòu shòu dào zú cháng de yán gé jiào dǎo.
    He received strict guidance from the clan head since childhood.

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.

族zúclan/lineage
长chángchief/head

“族” means clan/lineage, and “长” means chief/head, so it names the head of a clan.

Characters in this word

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

族 combines 㫃, a flag, and 矢, an arrow.

Open 族 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →
Appears in
Family & KinshipSocial Roles & Status

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