胫 (jìng) — (bound form) shin, lower leg (especially the tibia, used in literary and medical compounds)

Definition

Bound form for the shin / tibia (胫骨). Only appears in medical or literary compounds like 胫骨; it cannot stand alone as a word.

bound form
shinlower leg (especially the tibia, used in literary and medical compounds)

Examples

  • 。
    Yī shēng shuō tā jìng gǔ gǔ zhé le.
    The doctor said his tibia is fractured.
  • ,。
    Zhè ge xiāo xi bú jìng ér zǒu, chuán biàn le quán chéng.
    This news spread like wildfire throughout the city.
  • 。
    Pǎo bù shí yào zhù yì bǎo hù jìng gǔ.
    When running, you should pay attention to protecting your tibia.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most 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 脛; 胫 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
巠
巠jīng脛jìng
Same sound today

The traditional form 脛 pairs 肉 (meat) with 巠, which gives the sound. The simplified 胫 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

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