Character etymology for Elementary - Keys, Wallet, Phone 西

mandarinboy
 September 11, 2008, 06:55 AM posted in General Discussion

Second cardinal point today is: 西 (xī, west). 

 Character: 西

Traditional form: 西  

Pinyin: xī

Meaning: west(ern); westward

 

HSK level: 1 (basic)

Frequency: 137

 

Strokes: 6

Radical part: 西

Alternative forms for the radical: 襾 西 覀

Stroke order: http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/character-stroke-order.php?searchChinese=1&zi=%E8%A5%BF

Stroke animation: (the strokes are drawn the direction the picture is tipping)

 

 

 

Etymology:

When the sun settles in the west, the bird roost in the nest. The original form where just the nest. Then the head of the bird where added

 

 

 

 

and then changed to something like this: 

 

 

 

and finaly changed form to todays version: 西

One word in the lesson is 东西 ( dōng xī, thing, literally east-west). The reason for this is that between east and west, all things exist and this lead to 东西.

Example words:

东西        dōngxi    things; objects

西边        xībiān     west side; to the west of

西部        xībù        western part

西方        xīfāng     the West; the Occident; Western countries

西北        xīběi       northwest

西南        xīnán      southwest

西瓜        xī guā     watermelon

西欧        xī ōu       Western Europe

西餐        xī cān     Western-style food

西红柿    xī hóng shì tomato 

西方文化 xī fāng wén huà Western culture 

西兰花    xī lán huā broccoli 

西班牙文 Xī bān yá wén Spanish (language) 

摩西       Mó xī Moses 

 

 

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changye
 September 13, 2008, 01:28 PM

And that is why the character 栖 (qi1) 木 + 西 means "perch, roost, and dwell" in modern Chinese.