About
The character "蹊" originally denoted a narrow footpath or trail, with its structure combining the "foot" radical (足) on the left to indicate a meaning related to walking, and the component "奚" on the right providing phonetic clues. Its core meaning has consistently been associated with a small, informal path, often one created by repeated treading rather than deliberate construction. This literal sense was extended in classical texts into a metaphorical usage, where "蹊" came to represent an unconventional method or a new approach, as exemplified in the phrase "独辟蹊径", meaning to forge a new path. The character's form has remained stable in its traditional iteration, and its modern usage retains both the concrete meaning of a path and the abstract sense of a novel course of action.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这条小蹊通向后山。
花园里有一条弯曲的蹊。
他找到了解决问题的蹊径。
这件事有点蹊跷，需要调查。
沿着这条蹊走，你就能看到湖泊。
探险队在森林中发现了一条陌生的蹊。
在复杂的市场环境中，企业需要寻找新的蹊径。
尽管初始数据显得蹊跷，但经过重复实验，结果得到了验证。