Definitions

used 老撾|老挝[lǎo wō]
zhuā ancient weapon with a tip shaped like a hand or claw; old variant of 抓[zhuā]; to strike; to beat

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

Etymologically, 挝 is constructed from the hand radical 扌 and the phonetic component 过, with its traditional form 撾 featuring 過 as the phonetic element, indicating a historical pronunciation link. The character's core meaning has consistently been associated with manual actions of striking or beating, as seen in classical compounds like 挝鼓 for drumming. Over time, it acquired an additional role as a phonetic borrow in the term 老挝 for Laos, representing a sound-based adaptation that introduced a distinct geographical reference without altering its original sense. The structural shift from 撾 to 挝 involved a reduction in the complexity of the phonetic component, reflecting broader patterns in the writing system's development toward simplified forms.

Example Sentences Hide

在东南亚。

Lǎowō zài Dōngnán Yà.

Laos is in Southeast Asia.

我去过老旅游。

Wǒ qùguò Lǎowō lǚyóu.

I have traveled to Laos.

他学习鼓技艺。

Tā xuéxí zhuāgǔ jìyì.

He learns drum beating skills.

在老鼓是传统艺术。

Zài Lǎowō, zhuāgǔ shì chuántǒng yìshù.

In Laos, drum beating is a traditional art.

节日时,人们欢快地鼓。

Jiérì shí, rénmen huānkuài de zhuāgǔ.

During festivals, people beat drums cheerfully.

我们观看了精彩的鼓表演。

Wǒmen guānkànle jīngcǎi de zhuāgǔ biǎoyǎn.

We watched a wonderful drum beating performance.

鼓文化历史悠久。

Lǎowō de zhuāgǔ wénhuà lìshǐ yōujiǔ.

Laos' drum beating culture has a long history.

为了传承文化,他们教孩子鼓。

Wèile chuánchéng wénhuà, tāmen jiāo háizi zhuāgǔ.

To pass on the culture, they teach children to beat drums.