统 (tǒng) — (bound form) to unite; to bring together; (bound form) system; order; (bound form) overall; general; all
Definition
统 is a bound morpheme, not used alone — it appears in words like 统计, 统治, 系统. Its base meaning is 'unite / gather together' (统称, 统一) and 'system / overall' (统筹, 传统).
bound form
to uniteto bring togethersystemorderoverallgeneralall
Examples
- 。Wǒ men xū yào tǒng yī yì jiàn.We need to unify our opinions.
- 。Zhè ge tǒng jì shù zì hěn zhǔn què.This statistical data is very accurate.
- 。tǒng Zhì zhì dù xū yào gǎi gé.The ruling system needs reform.
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 統; 统 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
充
充chōng統tǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 統 uses 糸 as a meaning part and 充 as a sound part; the simplified 统 is a later shorthand, so this story is about 統, not about 统's parts.
Appears in
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