泛美 (fàn měi) — Pan-America (relating to all countries of the American continent collectively)

Definition

A combining form meaning 'Pan-American' — relating to all the countries of the Americas as a group, used in proper nouns like 泛美组织, 泛美航空, 泛美运动会. Not a standalone everyday word.

noun
Pan-America (relating to all countries of the American continent collectively)

Examples

  • 泛美20
    fàn měi Zǔ zhī chéng lì yú 20 shì jì.
    The Pan-American organization was founded in the 20th century.
  • 泛美
    fàn měi Háng kōng céng jīng shì quán qiú zuì dà de háng kōng gōng sī zhī yī.
    Pan American World Airways was once one of the largest airlines in the world.
  • 泛美
    fàn měi Yùn dòng huì měi sì nián jǔ bàn yí cì.
    The Pan American Games are held every four years.

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.

měiAmerica

泛 gives all or pan and 美 stands for America.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Written in full asshuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
fàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

泛 pairs 氵 (water) with 乏, which gives the sound.

Open 泛 →

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

美 shows 大, a person, wearing 羊, a headdress of feathers or ram's horn.

Open 美 →

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