魂灵 (hún líng) — (colloquial) soul, spirit; (colloquial) ghost,… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A colloquial, often literary-sounding word for a person's soul or a wandering ghost. Closer to 灵魂 in tone but more folk/old-fashioned; 鬼 is the everyday 'ghost'.

noun

(colloquial) soulspirit(colloquial) ghostapparition

Examples

魂灵。
Tā xià dé hǎo xiàng hún líng dōu fēi zǒu le.
He was so scared it seemed like his soul had flown away.
魂灵。
Lǎo rén shuō rén sǐ hòu hún líng huì huí dào jiā lǐ.
The old man said that after death, the soul returns home.
魂灵。
Zhè ge gù shi lǐ yǒu yí gè kě lián de hún líng.
There is a pitiful ghost in this story.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

“魂” means soul and “灵” means spirit, together giving soul or ghost.

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.

云鬼魂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

云

云yún魂hún(r)

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

魂 is made from 鬼, the ghost component, plus 云, which supplies the sound.

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 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

霝

霝líng靈líng

Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

Appears in

Mythology & Folklore Religion & Belief

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