笈 (jí) — book box (used in ancient times for carrying books on one's back); satchel for books
Definition
笈 is an archaic, literary word for a back-carried book box used by ancient scholars. Learners will almost only encounter it inside the set phrase 负笈 ('to carry one's book box,' meaning to travel in pursuit of study).
noun
book box (used in ancient times for carrying books on one's back)satchel for books
Easily confused
- 集jísound-alike(noun) collection, anthology, collected works
- 及jísound-alike(conjunction) and; as well as (used in formal writing to connect nouns or noun phrases)
- 吉jísound-alikelucky, auspicious (bound morpheme used in compounds and surnames)
- 急jísound-alike(adjective) urgent; rapid; hurried
- 极jísound-alikeextremely
- 级jísound-alikelevel, grade, rank
Examples
- 笈，。Tā nián qīng shí céng fù jí qiú xué, zǒu biàn le dà jiāng nán běi.When he was young, he carried a book box on his back and traveled far and wide in pursuit of learning.
- 笈。Bó wù guǎn lǐ chén liè zhe gǔ dài wén rén de shū jí.The museum displays the book boxes used by ancient scholars.
- 《》笈。《Sì kù quán shū》 de diǎn jí cún fàng zài tè zhì de shū jí zhōng.The classics of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries are stored in specially made book boxes.
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.
笈 combines 竹 (bamboo) with 及, and 及 gives a clue to its sound.
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