绪 (xù) — (bound form) thread, beginning (of a matter); (bound form) mood, emotion; (bound form) remnants, leftover
Definition
绪 is a bound morpheme used inside set compounds only: 头绪 ('clue/beginning of a matter'), 情绪 ('mood/emotion'), and 余绪 ('remnants'). It carries no meaning on its own — pair it with a partner to make a real word.
bound form
threadbeginning (of a matter)moodemotionremnantsleftover
Examples
- ，。Zhè jiàn shì yì diǎn tóu xù dōu méi yǒu, jí sǐ wǒ le.This matter has no clue at all — I'm so worried.
- ，。Tā zuì jìn qíng xù bú tài hǎo, bié qù dǎ rǎo tā.He's been in a bad mood lately; don't bother him.
- ，。Yí qiè zhǔn bèi jiù xù, kě yǐ kāi shǐ le.Everything is ready; we can start now.
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 緒; 绪 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
糹Written in full as糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě緒xù
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 緒 has 糹 (silk) and 者; 者 gives the sound. The simplified 绪 is not the form described here.
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