沙文主义 (shā wén zhǔ yì) — chauvinism

Definition

Loanword for 'chauvinism' — extreme, blind devotion to one's own country, gender, or group, seen as aggressive and unreasonable. Used in formal writing, not everyday speech.

noun
chauvinism

Examples

  • 沙文主义。
    shā wén zhǔ yì Shì yì zhǒng jí duān de mín zú zhǔ yì qíng xù.
    Chauvinism is an extreme form of nationalism.
  • 沙文主义。
    Tā fǎn duì rèn hé xíng shì de xìng bié shā wén zhǔ yì.
    She opposes all forms of gender chauvinism.
  • ，沙文主义。
    Lì shǐ zhèng míng, shā wén zhǔ yì wǎng wǎng dài lái zhàn zhēng yǔ zāi nàn.
    History has shown that chauvinism often brings war and disaster.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

沙文Chauvin
沙shā文wén
主义-ism
主zhǔ义yì

沙文 is a transliteration of Chauvin, and 主义 names the belief.

Characters in this word

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

沙 puts 少 (dots) beside 水 (water), showing sand on a shoreline.

Open 沙 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

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 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

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