About
The character 岐 is etymologically a phono-semantic compound, integrating the mountain radical 山 with the phonetic element 支, which together originally denoted a specific mountainous location, namely Mount Qi in ancient China. This geographic reference was central to its early usage, particularly in association with the Zhou dynasty's foundational myths and history. While its core meaning remained anchored to this place name, the character later extended into specialized compounds such as 岐黄, referring to the foundational figures of traditional Chinese medicine, thereby acquiring a cultural and scholarly dimension. Despite a phonetic and visual similarity to the character 歧, which denotes a fork or divergence, 岐 has largely preserved its distinct semantic field oriented around proper nouns and historical topography without adopting the abstract sense of branching.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我去过岐山一次。
岐山是陕西的一个县。
前面有两条岐路。
我们在岐路口犹豫不决。
岐山是周朝的发源地。
虽然岐路很多，但我们选择了正确的一条。
人生常常面临岐途。
在岐山的旅行让我了解了中国古代历史。