About
The character for "old man", 叟, has an origin that is visually illustrative of its early meaning, depicting an elderly figure holding a torch or lamp, a necessity for an elder navigating dim spaces. Its traditional form, which remains in use, is composed of components representing a hand (又) over a fire (火), originally symbolizing the act of searching with light, though this specific meaning faded. Over time, the character's primary semantic focus shifted entirely from the action of searching to the person performing it, solidifying its definition as an elderly male. It eventually settled into classical usage as a respectful term for an aged man, a sense preserved in its modern application, often as a suffix in terms of address like "老叟".
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
那位老叟很健康。
公园里有个老叟在散步。
这位老叟每天都会读报纸。
孩子们喜欢听老叟讲故事。
那位慈祥的老叟帮助了很多人。
在村庄里，一位白发老叟备受尊敬。
这位老叟虽然年事已高，但思维依然敏捷。
通过这位老叟的经历，我们学到了宝贵的人生智慧。