About
The character "耆" is structurally composed of the semantic component "老", meaning old, positioned above an element that historically represented the phonetic "旨" but in its modern traditional form is written as "日", linking it phonetically and conceptually to advanced age. Its original meaning specifically denoted a person who had reached sixty years, a significant demographic marker in classical texts, from which it gradually expanded to encompass the associated qualities of reverence and accumulated wisdom. This evolution is reflected in classical compounds where it describes respected elders or learned figures, though over time its usage has become more specialized and literary, moving from a general age descriptor to a term reserved for formal or honorific contexts.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
村里的耆老很有智慧。
我们应当尊重社区里的耆宿。
这位老先生是本地德高望重的耆绅。
政府为耆年人士提供了多项福利。
他是国学界的耆硕，著作等身。
拜访耆旧可以听到很多过去的故事。
这位耆艾之年的长者依然精神矍铄。
随着社会老龄化，耆英群体的需求备受关注。