驼鹿 (tuó lù) — moose (also called elk, Alces alces)

Definition

noun

moose (also called elk, Alces alces)

Measure word · 只

，驼鹿。
Zài jiā ná dà, wǒ jiàn guò yí cì tuó lù.
In Canada, I saw a moose once.
驼鹿。
tuó lù Shì yì zhǒng dà xíng de lù kē dòng wù.
Moose are a large type of deer-family animal.
驼鹿。
Sēn lín lǐ yǒu jǐ zhī tuó lù zài chī shù yè.
There are a few moose eating leaves in the forest.

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.

The first element suggests a hump-like shape, and the second denotes a deer, together naming the moose.

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 駝; 驼 is its simplified writing.

馬它駝

Meaning part形符xíngfú

馬馬mǎhorse

Sound part声符shēngfú

它

它tā駝tuó

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 駝 shows 馬 (horse) beside 它, which gives the sound; the simplified 驼 is a shorthand, so its parts are not historical pieces.

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

鹿 is a picture of a deer, with antlers, head, mouth, and bent legs; in the current form these parts are abstracted.

Appears in