纤 (qiàn) — (bound form) towline, rope for pulling a boat
Definition
Bound morph meaning a towrope or towline — never used alone, always part of a compound like 纤绳 or with 拉. Compare to 绳 (general rope) and 缆 (cable/anchor line), both more general.
bound form
towlinerope for pulling a boat
Examples
- 纤。Qiàn fū men yòng lì lā zhe qiàn shéng.The boat trackers pulled hard on the towline.
- ，。Zhè tiáo hé de shuǐ qiǎn, chuán xū yào rén lā qiàn.The river is shallow here; the boat needs people to tow it.
- 。Gǔ dài yùn hé shàng yǒu xǔ duō yǐ lā qiàn wéi shēng de rén.On ancient canals there were many people who made a living by towing boats.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 纖; 纤 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
韱
韱xiān纖qiàn
Same sound today
The traditional form 纖 uses 糸 for silk and 韱 for the sound; the simplified 纤 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
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