石松 (shí sōng) — ground pine (Lycopodium clavatum, a clubmoss); lycopodium (used in traditional Chinese medicine)

Definition

石松 (shísōng) is ground pine (Lycopodium clavatum), an ancient clubmoss, valued in traditional Chinese medicine for treating rheumatism and dampness. Not a true pine or fern, despite the name.

noun
ground pine (Lycopodium clavatum, a clubmoss)lycopodium (used in traditional Chinese medicine)
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 石松。
    Zhè zhǒng shí sōng zài zhōng yī lǐ cháng yòng yú zhì liáo fēng shī.
    This kind of ground pine is often used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat rheumatism.
  • 石松。
    shí sōng Shì yì zhǒng gǔ lǎo de jué lèi zhí wù.
    Ground pine is an ancient type of fern-like plant.
  • ，石松。
    Zài sēn lín lǐ, shí sōng tōng cháng shēng zhǎng zài cháo shī de yán shí shàng.
    In the forest, ground pine usually grows on damp rocks.

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.

石shístone
松sōngpine

石 gives stone and 松 gives pine, yielding a plant like a pine.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 石 shows a stone under a cliff-like overhang, or a cave set into a cliff side.

Open 石 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
公
公gōng松sōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

松 uses 木 (wood) to show it is a tree, and 公 to give the sound.

Open 松 →

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