琼 (qióng) — (bound form) fine jade; jade-like (in literary compounds); (bound form) short name for Hainan province
Definition
In literary compounds, 琼 means fine jade and lends a sense of preciousness (e.g. 琼脂 'agar'). It is also the short name for Hainan, used in place names like 琼州海峡 and 琼崖.
bound form
fine jadejade-like (in literary compounds)short name for Hainan province
Examples
- 琼。qióng Zhī kě yǐ zuò chéng tián diǎn.Agar can be used to make desserts.
- 琼。qióng Zhōu hǎi xiá de fēng làng hěn dà.The winds and waves of the Qiongzhou Strait are very strong.
- 琼。qióng Yá shì hǎi nán de gǔ chēng.Qiongya is the ancient name for Hainan.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 瓊; 琼 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
夐
夐xuàn瓊qióng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 瓊 pairs 玉 (jade) with 夐, which gives the sound.
Appears in
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