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童子军 (tóng zǐ jūn) — Boy Scouts (or Girl Scouts); the Scout movement

Definition

noun
Boy Scouts (or Girl Scouts)the Scout movement

Examples

  • 童子军。
    Tā xiǎo shí hou zài tóng zǐ jūn lǐ xué huì le lù yíng hé jí jiù jì néng.
    He learned camping and first aid skills in the Scouts when he was young.
  • 童子军。
    Cān jiā tóng zǐ jūn shì hěn duō hái zi tóng nián zuì nán wàng de jīng lì zhī yī.
    Joining the Scouts is one of the most unforgettable childhood experiences for many children.
  • 童子军。
    Tā de ér zi hé nǚ ér dōu shì tóng zǐ jūn de chéng yuán.
    Both her son and daughter are members of the Scouts.

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.

童子child
童tóngchild子zǐchild
联合Coordinate
军jūnarmy

The child sense of 童 and 子 joins with 军 to name the Scouts.

Characters in this word

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

  • 䇂䇂䇂chisel
  • 見見jiànkneeling person with a huge eye

The form 童 comes from a pairing of 䇂 (a chisel) with 見 (a kneeling person with a huge eye), depicting a person having an eye gouged out.

Open 童 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軍; 军 is its simplified writing.

  • 車車jūcart; chariot
  • 勹勹bāoto surround

In the traditional form 軍, 車 shows the chariot sense, while the part now written 勹 is a sound part, not the 'surround' 勹. Simplified 军 is a later shorthand.

Open 军 →
Appears in
Groups & Organizations

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