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独角兽 (dú jiǎo shòu) — (noun) unicorn (mythical horse-like creature with a single horn); (noun) unicorn company (privately-held startup valued over $1 billion)

Definition

Literally "single-horned beast." In Chinese 独角兽 refers both to the Western mythical unicorn and, since the 2010s, to a privately-held startup valued over $1 billion — the same word is used for both.

noun
unicorn (mythical horse-like creature with a single horn)unicorn company (privately-held startup valued over $1 billion)
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 独角兽。
    Chuán shuō zhōng dú jiǎo shòu de jiǎo yǒu shén qí de lì liàng.
    Legend says a unicorn's horn has magical power.
  • 独角兽。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī sān nián nèi chéng zhǎng wèi yì jiā dú jiǎo shòu.
    This company grew into a unicorn within three years.
  • 独角兽。
    Quán qiú yǐ yǒu chāo guò wǔ bǎi jiā dú jiǎo shòu qǐ yè.
    There are now over five hundred unicorn companies globally.

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.

独角single-horned
独dúsingle角jiǎohorn
偏正Modifier + head
兽shòubeast

独 (single) + 角 (horn) + 兽 (beast) means a single-horned beast.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獨; 独 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎn
Sound part声符shēngfú
蜀
蜀shǔ獨dú
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 獨 pairs 犬 (dog) with 蜀, which gives the sound; the simplified 独 is a shorthand.

Open 独 →

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

The form 角 is a picture of a horn.

Open 角 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獸; 兽 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 獸 combines 單 (hunting weapon) and 犬 (dog) to show hunting; the simplified 兽 is a shorthand.

Open 兽 →
Appears in
Mythology & Folklore

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