Definitions

xiàng (noun) oak
xiàng (noun) rubber

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "橡" is a phono-semantic compound formed with the wood radical "木" as its semantic component and "象" as its phonetic element. Its initial meaning specifically referred to the oak tree and its acorns. Over time, the character's application broadened to include the material rubber, as seen in the compound "橡胶", representing a semantic shift from denoting a particular tree to encompassing a product derived from the latex of the rubber tree. This expansion in meaning utilized the existing character structure, where the wood radical consistently indicates a botanical relationship.

Etymology Hide

Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

胶很有弹性。

Xiàngjiāo hěn yǒu tánxìng.

Rubber is very elastic.

树很高大。

Xiàngshù hěn gāodà.

The oak tree is very tall.

地上有子。

Dìshàng yǒu xiàngzi.

There are acorns on the ground.

木家具很耐用。

Xiàngmù jiājù hěn nàiyòng.

Oak wood furniture is very durable.

这个球是胶制成的。

Zhège qiú shì xiàngjiāo zhìchéng de.

This ball is made of rubber.

树林里有很多鸟。

Xiàngshùlín lǐ yǒu hěn duō niǎo.

There are many birds in the oak forest.

子可以用来制作饲料。

Xiàngzi kěyǐ yòng lái zhìzuò sìliào.

Acorns can be used to make feed.

胶工业在经济发展中扮演重要角色。

Xiàngjiāo gōngyè zài jīngjì fāzhǎn zhōng bànyǎn zhòngyào juésè.

The rubber industry plays an important role in economic development.