猛犸 (měng mǎ) — mammoth (extinct elephant-like animal)

Definition

noun

mammoth (extinct elephant-like animal)

Measure word · 头

猛犸。
Zhè tóu měng mǎ shēng huó zài hán lěng de dì fāng.
This mammoth lived in cold places.
猛犸。
Zài bó wù guǎn kě yǐ kàn dào měng mǎ de huà shí.
You can see mammoth fossils in the museum.
猛犸。
Zhè xiē měng mǎ dà yuē zài sì qiān nián qián miè jué le.
These mammoths went extinct about 4,000 years ago.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

孟

Same sound today

猛 pairs 犬 (dog) with 孟, and 孟 gives the sound.

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 獁; 犸 is its simplified writing.

犭馬獁

Meaning part形符xíngfú

犭Written in full as犬quǎn

Sound part声符shēngfú

馬

馬mǎ獁

Same sound today

The traditional form 獁 pairs 犭 (dog) with 馬 for the sound. The simplified 犸 is a later shorthand.

Appears in