羯 (jié) — (bound form) the Jie, an ancient ethnic group in northern China
Definition
A bound historical term referring to the Jie, an ancient northern people who formed one of the Five Barbarians (五胡) and founded Later Zhao. Always appears attached to 族 or 人.
bound form
the Jie, an ancient ethnic group in northern China
Easily confused
- 褐hèlook-alike(biology, geology, etc.) brown (used in compounds such as 褐色, 褐煤, 褐铁矿)
- 节jiésound-alike(classifier) for segments of connected things: lessons, train cars, sections
- 竭jiélook-aliketo exhaust; to use up; to do one's utmost (bound form, used in compounds)
- 结jiésound-alike(noun) knot
- 蝎xiēlook-alikescorpion
- 杰jiésound-alike(bound form) outstanding, prominent
Examples
- 羯。jié Zú zài lì shǐ shàng céng jīng jiàn lì guò hòu zhào zhèng quán.The Jie tribe once established the Later Zhao regime in history.
- 羯。jié Rén shì wǔ hú zhī yī.The Jie people were one of the Five Barbarians.
- 羯《》。Guān yú jié zú de jì zǎi zhǔ yào jiàn yú 《jìn shū》.Records about the Jie tribe are mainly found in the Book of Jin.
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.
Sound part声符shēngfú
曷
曷hé羯Jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
羯 combines 羊 (sheep; goat) with 曷, which supplies the sound.
Appears in
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