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阴虱 (yīn shī) — crab louse; pubic louse (Pthirus pubis)

Definition

noun
crab lousepubic louse (Pthirus pubis)
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 阴虱。
    Yī shēng zhěn duàn tā gǎn rǎn le yīn shī.
    The doctor diagnosed him with a crab louse infection.
  • 阴虱。
    yīn shī Zhǔ yào tōng guò xìng jiē chù chuán bō.
    Crab lice are mainly transmitted through sexual contact.
  • 阴虱。
    Zhì liáo yīn shī xū yào zhuān yòng de yào gāo.
    Treating crab lice requires a special ointment.

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.

阴yīnprivate
虱shīlouse

阴 refers to the private area and 虱 means louse, naming a louse found there.

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 陰; 阴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
侌
侌yīn陰yīn
Same sound today

The traditional form 陰 combines 阜, the meaning part, with 侌, the sound part. The simplified 阴 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical pieces.

Open 阴 →

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 蝨; 虱 is its simplified writing.

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

The traditional form 蝨 pairs 䖵, the meaning part, with 卂, the sound part. The simplified 虱 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 虱 →
Appears in
Insects

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