电讯报 (diàn xùn bào) — The Telegraph (newspaper title)

Definition

noun
The Telegraph (newspaper title)
Measure word · 份

Examples

  • 电讯报。
    Wǒ měi tiān kàn diàn xùn bào.
    I read The Telegraph every day.
  • 电讯报。
    diàn xùn bào De bào dào hěn quán miàn.
    The Telegraph's reporting is very comprehensive.
  • 电讯报？
    Nǐ dìng le diàn xùn bào ma?
    Did you subscribe to The Telegraph?

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.

电讯telegraphic news
电diàntelegraph讯xùnnews
偏正Modifier + head
报bàonewspaper

电讯 points to telegraphic news, and 报 gives a newspaper, yielding a paper carrying such reports.

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 電; 电 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn電diàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 電, 雨 (rain) sits with 申, read shēn and meaning lightning.

Open 电 →

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 訊; 讯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
卂
卂xùn訊xùn
Same sound today

The traditional form 訊 combines 言 (words) with 卂 as a sound part; the simplified 讯 is a shorthand.

Open 讯 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 報; 报 is its simplified writing.

  • 㚔㚔㚔handcuffs
  • 𠬝𠬝𠬝to subdue

The traditional form 報 puts 㚔 (handcuffs) beside 𠬝 (to subdue), showing someone restrained and subdued, as in convicting or punishing a guilty person. The simplified 报 is a later shorthand.

Open 报 →

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