辉长岩 (huī cháng yán) — gabbro (a type of coarse-grained igneous rock)

Definition

noun
gabbro (a type of coarse-grained igneous rock)
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 辉长岩。
    Dì zhì xué jiā zài yán jiū zhè zhǒng huī cháng yán de xíng chéng guò chéng.
    Geologists are studying the formation process of this gabbro.
  • 辉长岩。
    Zhè piàn qū yù de dì céng zhǔ yào yóu huī cháng yán gòu chéng.
    The strata in this area are mainly composed of gabbro.
  • ，辉长岩。
    Zài yě wài kǎo chá shí, wǒ men cǎi jí le yí kuài huī cháng yán biāo běn.
    During the field survey, we collected a gabbro specimen.

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.

辉长gabbro
辉huī长cháng
音译Transliteration
岩yánrock

辉长 gives the sound of gabbro, and 岩 shows that it is a type of rock.

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 輝; 辉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
光光guānglight; bright
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn輝huī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輝 uses 光, meaning light; bright, and 軍 to give its sound; the simplified 辉 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 辉 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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 巖; 岩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
山山shānmountain
Sound part声符shēngfú
嚴
嚴yán巖yán
Same sound today

The traditional form 巖 combines 山 (mountain) with 嚴, a part that gives the sound; the simplified 岩 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the original parts.

Open 岩 →

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