进化论 (jìn huà lùn) — theory of evolution

Definition

noun
theory of evolution

Examples

  • 进化论。
    Xiàn dài jìn huà lùn hé dá ěr wén de míng zì shì fēn bù kāi de.
    Modern evolution theory is inseparable from Darwin's name.
  • 进化论。
    Zhè běn shū jì lù le jìn huà lùn de fā zhǎn lì shǐ.
    This book records the development history of evolution theory.
  • 进化论。
    Xǔ duō rén dōu duì jìn huà lùn yǒu hěn dà de xìng qù.
    Many people have a great interest in evolution theory.

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.

进化evolution
进jìnadvance化huàchange
联合Side by side
论lùntheory

进化 (evolution) and 论 (theory) combine to mean the theory of evolution.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 進; 进 is its simplified writing.

  • 辵辵chuòwalk
  • 隹隹zhuīshort-tail bird

The traditional form 進 pairs 辵 (walk) with 隹 (short-tail bird): the picture showed moving forward because a bird can only walk forward, not backward. The simplified 进 is a later shorthand.

Open 进 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →

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 論; 论 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún論lùn
Same sound today

The traditional form 論 pairs 言 (“say”) with 侖 as a sound component; the simplified 论 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 论 →
Appears in
BiologyScience (General)

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