流放 (liú fàng) — to banish, to exile (as a punishment); to float logs downstream (logging technique)

Definition

Most commonly means 'to banish / exile' as a legal punishment (e.g. sending criminals to a remote region). In logging, it refers to floating timber downstream.

verb
to banishto exile (as a punishment)to float logs downstream (logging technique)

Examples

  • 流放。
    Gǔ dài huáng dì jīng cháng bǎ fàn rén liú fàng dào biān jiāng.
    Ancient emperors often exiled criminals to the frontier.
  • 流放。
    Tā bèi liú fàng dào le yí gè huāng dǎo shàng.
    He was exiled to a deserted island.
  • 流放。
    Gōng rén men bǎ mù cái liú fàng dào xià yóu.
    The workers floated the timber downstream.

Origin

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.

流liúbanish or float
放fàngsend away or release

流 (banish or float) and 放 (send away or release) combine as parallel actions to mean exile or floating logs downstream.

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →

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
攵Written in full as攴pūhand, action
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng放fàng
Same sound today

放 uses 方 for its sound and 攵, a hand/action part, to mark an action of release.

Open 放 →
Appears in
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