About
The character "舅", meaning maternal uncle, is constructed from the semantic components "臼" and "男", combining to denote a specific male relation. While the precise original significance of the "臼" component in this context is not entirely certain, it is generally understood to signify the maternal line, thereby modifying the "男" for man to specify a mother’s brother. This conceptual structure has remained consistent in its written form, which is identical in both traditional and simplified systems. In classical Chinese texts, the term "舅" held a broader semantic range, often also referring to a husband’s father or a wife’s father, indicating a senior male in-law. Over centuries of linguistic use, this meaning of father-in-law gradually diminished in everyday vernacular, allowing the primary and now exclusive meaning of mother’s brother to become firmly established in modern usage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我的舅舅很好。
舅舅给我礼物。
我舅舅是位老师。
舅妈和舅舅都来了。
昨天舅舅从北京回来。
因为舅舅帮忙，我完成了作业。
舅舅虽然很忙，但是经常来看我们。
舅舅在跨国公司担任高级经理。