About
The character "桐" has consistently represented the paulownia tree through its history, with its structural composition clearly indicating this meaning. It is formed from the semantic component "木", which denotes wood or tree, combined with the phonetic component "同", which historically suggested its pronunciation. This traditional form, which remains identical in structure to its simplified counterpart, directly points to its arboreal reference. Over time, while its core denotation remained specific to a genus of trees known for their lightweight, resonant wood used in making musical instruments like the guqin, its symbolic associations expanded within cultural contexts, often evoking elegance and auspiciousness. The character also found stable employment in geographical and personal names, carrying these organic and cultural connotations forward without significant semantic shift from its original botanical definition.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
院子里有棵桐树。
桐花在春天开放。
梧桐叶落满了地。
他用桐油刷了桌子。
古老的桐树矗立在村口。
孩子们在桐树下玩耍。
每当桐花盛开时，空气中都弥漫着清香。
这家工厂专门生产桐油，用于制作防水涂料。