Definitions

Zōu (noun) ancient state in Shandong Province

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 邹, whose traditional form is 鄒, originated as a place name and later became a prominent surname, with its structure providing clues to its initial meaning. It is composed of two main components: the right side, 刍 (simplified from traditional 芻), which depicts bundled grass or fodder, and the left side, 阝, a variant of the radical 邑 that denotes a settlement, city, or state. This combination semantically suggests a connection to a locale or administrative district, historically referring to a small feudal state during the Zhou dynasty. Over time, as the political entity faded, the primary function of the character shifted exclusively to denote the surname, carried by descendants from that region, while its structural form was streamlined from the more complex 鄒 to the current simplified 邹.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Wu (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

先生是我的邻居。

Zōu xiānsheng shì wǒ de línjū.

Mr. Zou is my neighbor.

姓在中国是一个古老的姓氏。

Zōu xìng zài Zhōngguó shì yí gè gǔlǎo de xìngshì.

The surname Zou is an ancient surname in China.

我的历史老师正在研究容的思想。

Wǒ de lìshǐ lǎoshī zhèngzài yánjiū Zōu Róng de sīxiǎng.

My history teacher is studying the thoughts of Zou Rong.

战国时期的衍创立了五行学说。

Zhànguó shíqī de Zōu Yǎn chuànglì le wǔxíng xuéshuō.

Zou Yan from the Warring States period established the theory of the Five Elements.

这座祠堂记载了氏家族的辉煌历史。

Zhè zuò cítáng jìzǎi le Zōu shì jiāzú de huīhuáng lìshǐ.

This ancestral hall records the glorious history of the Zou family.

山东省城市以孟子故里而闻名。

Shāndōng Shěng Zōuchéng Shì yǐ Mèngzǐ gùlǐ ér wénmíng.

Zoucheng City in Shandong Province is famous for being the hometown of Mencius.

这篇论文分析了韬奋的新闻出版理念。

Zhè piān lùnwén fēnxī le Zōu Tāofèn de xīnwén chūbǎn lǐniàn.

This thesis analyzes Zou Taofen's ideas on journalism and publishing.

考古队在县遗址发现了重要的青铜器。

Kǎogǔ duì zài Zōu xiàn yízhǐ fāxiàn le zhòngyào de qīngtóngqì.

The archaeological team discovered important bronze ware at the Zou County site.