碑铭 (bēi míng) — stele inscription, monumental inscription (carved on stone)

Definition

碑铭 is the formal, written term for an inscription carved on a stone stele — typically a commemorative or historical text, more literary than just calling it a 'stone inscription'.

noun
stele inscriptionmonumental inscription (carved on stone)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 碑铭。
    Zhè kuài bēi míng jì lù le táng cháo de yí cì zhòng yào zhàn yì.
    This stele inscription records an important battle of the Tang Dynasty.
  • 碑铭。
    Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài fèi xū zhōng fā xiàn le yí kuài gǔ lǎo de bēi míng.
    Archaeologists discovered an ancient stele inscription in the ruins.
  • 碑铭。
    Zhè piān bēi míng de wén zì yǐ jīng mó hu bù qīng le.
    The text of this stele inscription has become illegible.

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.

碑bēistele
铭mínginscription

'碑' names the stone monument and '铭' the carved text, together meaning inscription on a stele.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shístone
Sound part声符shēngfú
卑
卑bēi碑bēi
Same sound today

碑 shows 石 (stone) beside 卑, with 卑 giving the sound.

Open 碑 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 銘; 铭 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 銘 has 金 (metal) and 名 (name), and refers to engraving in metal; the simplified 铭 is a later shorthand.

Open 铭 →

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