癫痫 (diān xián) — epilepsy

Definition

noun
epilepsy

Examples

  • 癫痫
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù yǒu diān xián, dàn yì zhí chī yào kòng zhì dé hěn hǎo.
    He has had epilepsy since childhood, but it has been well controlled with medication.
  • 癫痫
    diān xián Fā zuò shí huàn zhě kě néng huì shī qù yì shí.
    During an epileptic seizure, the patient may lose consciousness.
  • 癫痫
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā zuò jìn yí bù jiǎn chá lái què zhěn diān xián.
    The doctor advised him to undergo further tests to confirm epilepsy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

diānmadness/seizure
xiánepilepsy/seizure

癫 and 痫 both refer to seizure or madness; together they name epilepsy.

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 癲; 癫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
illness
Sound part声符shēngfú
diāndiān
Same sound today

The traditional form 癲 uses 疒 (illness) for meaning and 顛 for sound; the simplified 癫 is a later shorthand.

Open 癫 →

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 癇; 痫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
illness
Sound part声符shēngfú
xián⁰xián
Same sound today

The traditional form 癇 pairs 疒 (illness) with 閒 for the sound; the simplified 痫 is a later shorthand.

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