词根 (cí gēn) — (linguistics) word root; base morpheme

Definition

noun
(linguistics) word rootbase morpheme

Examples

  • ，词根。
    Zài yǔ yán xué zhōng, cí gēn shì dān cí zuì hé xīn de bù fen.
    In linguistics, a root is the most essential part of a word.
  • ，词根。
    Xué xí xīn de yǔ yán shí, liǎo jiě cháng jiàn de cí gēn néng bāng zhù nǐ gèng kuài dì jì yì cí huì.
    When learning a new language, understanding common roots can help you memorize vocabulary faster.
  • 词根。
    Zhè ge cí gēn zài qí tā hěn duō yǔ yán zhōng yě cún zài.
    This root also exists in many other languages.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

词cíword
根gēnbase

词 names a word, and 根 names the base of that word.

Characters in this word

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 詞; 词 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
司
司sī詞cí(r)
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詞 uses 言, meaning speech, and 司 to show how it was pronounced; the simplified 词 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 词 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn根gēn(r)
Same sound today

根 pairs 木 (tree/wood), pointing to plant roots, with 艮 as a sound part.

Open 根 →

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