(shān) — (bound morpheme) grid; grating (in electronics, optics, or computing)

Definition

Bound morpheme meaning 'grid' or 'grating' — a pattern of parallel lines or bars. It is not used alone: it appears in compounds like 栅极 (grid, in a vacuum tube) and 光栅 (diffraction grating).

bound form
(bound morpheme) gridgrating (in electronics, optics, or computing)

Examples

  • Diàn zǐ guǎn lǐ miàn de shān jí kòng zhì zhe diàn liú.
    The grid inside the vacuum tube controls the electric current.
  • Zhè zhāng guāng shān de fēn biàn lǜ fēi cháng gāo.
    This diffraction grating has very high resolution.
  • Píng mù shàng xiǎn shì le yí gè jì suàn yòng de shān gé.
    A computational grid was displayed on the screen.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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 柵; 栅 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
tree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
zhà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 柵, 木 is wood, and 冊, a bound set of wooden strips, gives the sound; 栅 is the later simplified form.

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