About
The character "鳞", with its traditional form "鱗", structurally combines the semantic component "鱼" for fish with the phonetic component "粫", originally denoting the overlapping scales that form a protective layer on fish. Its meaning, while firmly anchored in this piscine context, extended over time to describe similar scale-like structures on other animals, such as reptiles, and further to man-made objects like armor plates. This conceptual expansion allowed the term to be applied metaphorically to any surface or arrangement featuring regular, overlapping layers, such as in botanical descriptions or geological formations, demonstrating a semantic evolution from a specific biological feature to a broader descriptive term for patterned surfaces.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这条鱼有闪亮的鳞。
清理鱼鳞需要耐心。
鱼鳞在阳光下闪闪发光。
那片水域污染严重，鱼鳞都变黑了。
这些建筑鳞次栉比地排列着。
穿山甲的鳞片非常坚硬。
他的皮肤得了鳞状皮肤病。
显微镜下可以观察到细胞的鳞状结构。