About
The character 匈 is structurally composed of the enveloping radical 勹 and the component 凶, and it originally carried the meaning of the human chest or bosom in early Chinese usage. This sense is preserved in the related character 胸, which incorporated 匈 as a phonetic element to specifically denote the chest. The independent semantic function of 匈 for this bodily part gradually diminished, and its primary modern application became lexical, forming the first part of the historical ethnonym 匈奴, which refers to the nomadic Xiongnu confederation. The component 凶, with its connotations of fierceness or menace, may align with perceptions of this group, though 匈 in this compound serves mainly as a phonetic signifier.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
匈牙利在欧洲。
我朋友去过匈牙利。
匈牙利首都是布达佩斯。
匈奴是古代游牧民族。
这本书讲述匈奴历史。
匈牙利语很难学习。
历史上匈奴常侵扰边境。
我对匈牙利经济很了解。