部落 (bù luò) — tribe; tribal settlement

Definition

noun
tribetribal settlement
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 部落
    Zhè ge bù luò yǒu zhe yōu jiǔ de lì shǐ hé wén huà chuán tǒng.
    This tribe has a long history and cultural tradition.
  • 部落
    Kǎo gǔ xué jiā zài shā mò zhōng fā xiàn le yí chù gǔ dài bù luò de yí zhǐ.
    Archaeologists discovered the ruins of an ancient tribal settlement in the desert.
  • 部落
    Xǔ duō bù luò réng bǎo liú zhe dú tè de shēng huó fāng shì.
    Many tribes still maintain their unique way of life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

group
luòsettlement

Both 部 and 落 point to a settled group, so together they name a tribe.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
pǒu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Open 部 →

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
Written in full ascǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
luòluò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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