About
柯 is a phono-semantic compound: the left side 木 (the wood radical) indicates wood, while the right side 可 (kě) supplies the sound. The phonetic 可 was originally a pictograph of an axe handle (丂), so the character's primary meaning was 'axe handle.' This original sense is famously noted in classical literature, where 柯 also took on the meaning of a standard or ruler of length. As a common noun, it later fell out of daily use, and now the character is mostly found as a surname or in phonetic transcriptions of foreign words, its tangible connection to wooden handles largely forgotten.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
柯先生今天来了。
这只柯基很可爱。
柯南是一个聪明的侦探。
院子里种了一棵柯树。
柯叔叔送给我一只柯基犬。
柯南在图书馆仔细地查资料。
如果柯先生同意，我们就开始计划。
柯尔克孜族的文化传统非常丰富。
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