癫 (diān) — crazy, insane (formal, medical, or literary)
Definition
Formal, often medical or literary word for 'mentally deranged.' Stronger and more clinical than colloquial 疯.
adjective
crazyinsane (formal, medical, or literary)
Examples
- 。Tā zuì jìn xíng wéi yǒu xiē fēng diān.He's been acting a bit crazy lately.
- 。Tā tū rán biàn de hěn fēng diān.She suddenly became very crazy.
- 。Tā nǎo zi yǒu diǎn fēng diān le.His mind has become a bit deranged.
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 癲; 癫 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
顛
顛diān癲diān
Same sound today
The traditional form 癲 uses 疒 (illness) for meaning and 顛 for sound; the simplified 癫 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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