About
The character 狄, in its traditional form, has consistently been composed of the radical 犭, denoting a beast or dog, combined with the component 火 representing fire, a structure that has remained stable. Its original application was as an ethnonym for certain nomadic groups inhabiting the northern frontiers of ancient China, a meaning derived from associations with hunting practices involving dogs and possibly the use of fire in the grasslands. Over centuries of classical usage, the term gradually expanded from this specific reference to become a more generalized, and often pejorative, literary designation for various northern tribal peoples. While its core graphical composition is straightforward, the semantic value of the character shifted significantly, moving from a relatively neutral identifier to a term laden with cultural bias in historical texts.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
狄先生是我们的邻居。
狄同学今天没来上课。
狄教授在大学里教历史。
狄经理负责这个项目。
狄仁杰是唐朝的宰相。
古代北狄生活在北方。
我们研究了狄族的古代生活。
狄姓起源于古代狄族，现在是一个罕见的姓氏。