轭 (è) — yoke; harness
Definition
A yoke (轭, è) is the wooden bar that fastens two oxen together at the neck so they pull as a team. Often used figuratively in literature to mean a burden or oppression ("a heavy yoke").
noun
yokeharness
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
Examples
- 轭。Nóng mín yòng niú è lā chē.Farmers use an ox yoke to pull a cart.
- 轭。Zhè tóu niú shēn shàng tào le yí gè è.This ox has a yoke on it.
- 轭。Tā gǎn dào shēng huó xiàng yí fù chén zhòng de è.He feels that life is like a heavy yoke.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 軛; 轭 is its simplified writing.
- 車車jūcarriage
- 厄厄èyoke
The traditional form 軛 adds 車, a carriage, to 厄, an earlier yoke form, to show a carriage yoke. The simplified 轭 is a later shorthand.
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