Definitions
Etymology
Depicts a weapon (我) slaughtering a pig for the purpose of sacrificing an animal for offering. The 我 component was later reanalyzed into phonetic component 義 and the component depicting the slaughtered pig was later reanalyzed as meaning component 兮. Based on the original meaning "sacrificial slaughter", now written as 犧. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.
About
羲 is a phono-semantic compound. The lower component 兮, related to breath or a sighing sound, provides the semantic category of vapor or breath. The upper component 義 serves as the phonetic element, though the modern pronunciation has diverged from this root. Originally associated with breath or internal energy, the character is now used almost exclusively as a proper noun. It functions primarily as a surname and identifies the mythological Chinese sovereign Fu Xi. Due to this shift in usage, the original literal meaning is obsolete in modern contexts, and the character now serves as a specialized cultural and nominal signifier.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
伏羲是中国古代的神话人物。
王羲之的书法非常著名。
他的名字里有一个羲字。
羲和是古代传说中的太阳神。
伏羲和女娲创造了人类。
王羲之的《兰亭序》被誉为天下第一行书。
在古代文化中，伏羲被视为人文始祖。
研究伏羲的神话有助于理解中华文明的起源。