校订 (jiào dìng) — to collate, to check against an authoritative t…

Definition

Editorial/scholarly term for collating a text against an authoritative source and making corrections — more specialized than 编辑 (general editing).

verb

to collate, to check against an authoritative text and make editorial revisions

校订。
Biān jí zhèng zài jiào dìng zhè běn xīn shū.
The editor is collating this new book against the authoritative text.
校订，。
Jīng guò rèn zhēn jiào dìng, zhè ge bǎn běn gèng jiā zhǔn què.
After careful collation, this edition is more accurate.
校订。
Wǒ men xū yào jiào dìng zhè xiē lì shǐ wén xiàn.
We need to collate these historical documents and make editorial revisions.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

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

校xiàocheck/collate

校 contributes checking, and 订 contributes revising, together describing editorial work.

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.

木交校

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

交

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

校 is built from 木 (tree) on the left and 交 on the right, which supplies the sound.

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 訂; 订 is its simplified writing.

言丁訂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

丁

Same sound today

The traditional form 訂 combines 言, related to speech, with 丁, which gives the sound; the simplified 订 is a later shorthand.