瓯 (ōu) — short name for Wenzhou (a city in Zhejiang Province)
Definition
瓯 (ōu) is a bound literary form meaning 'Wenzhou' — it only appears inside proper names like 瓯江 (Ou River) and 瓯绣, never as a standalone word.
bound form
short name for Wenzhou (a city in Zhejiang Province)
Examples
- 瓯。Zhè tiáo hé jiào ōu jiāng.This river is called the Oujiang.
- 瓯。ōu Xiù shì wēn zhōu de yì zhǒng chuán tǒng shǒu gōng yì.Ou embroidery is a traditional craft of Wenzhou.
- 瓯。Wǒ zài bó wù guǎn kàn dào le yí jiàn ōu yáo cí qì.I saw a piece of Ou kiln porcelain in the museum.
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 甌; 瓯 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū甌ōu
Same sound today
The traditional form 甌 pairs 瓦 (pottery) with 區, a word for vessel that also gives the sound; simplified 瓯 is a later shorthand.
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