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涟漪 (lián yī) — ripples (on water, literary); (figurative) subtle emotional stirrings; ripples of feeling

Definition

A literary word for 'ripples' on water, also used figuratively for a quiet emotional stirring in the heart. More poetic and written than the plain 波浪.

noun
ripples (on water, literary)(figurative) subtle emotional stirringsripples of feeling

Examples

  • ，涟漪。
    Wēi fēng fú guò, hú miàn fàn qǐ céng céng lián yī.
    A gentle breeze passed, and layers of ripples spread across the lake.
  • 涟漪。
    Tā de huà zài wǒ xīn zhōng jī qǐ le lián yī.
    Her words stirred ripples in my heart.
  • 涟漪。
    Píng jìng de shēng huó ǒu ěr yě huì fàn qǐ yì sī lián yī.
    Even a calm life will occasionally stir up a faint ripple.

Origin

Single-morpheme word
构词法gòucífǎ
联绵liánmiánBound pair

Two characters that only ever appear together, spelling one ancient two-syllable word.

涟lián
漪yī

Together the characters name ripples on water; separately they carry no meaning here.

Sound-only characters

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 漣; 涟 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
連
連lián漣lián
Same sound today

In the traditional form 漣, 氵 (water) is paired with 連 for the sound.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsGeography & Landforms

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