About
The character for 'narrow', historically written as '狹' and seen in the form '狭', is a phono-semantic compound built from the semantic radical '犬' (dog) and the phonetic component '夾', which carries connotations of pinching or tight enclosure, suggesting an original meaning related to confined spaces perhaps metaphorically linked to canine behavior or restricted pathways. Over centuries, its application shifted from purely describing physical breadth to encompassing abstract limitations, such as narrow-mindedness or scant resources, reflecting a semantic expansion from tangible to figurative constraints. The structural adaptation from '夾' to '夹' in the contemporary shape represents a graphical adjustment that maintained the auditory cue and the core idea of compression, thereby preserving the character's intrinsic association with restriction and limited scope.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这条街道很狭窄。
房间的门口太狭窄了。
他的观点有些狭隘。
山谷是狭长的形状。
这间办公室很狭小。
由于道路狭窄，车辆通行缓慢。
从狭义上讲，这个词专指生物学概念。
尽管空间狭隘，但他们的思想却无比开阔。