About
The character "殖" is structured with the semantic component "歹" on the left, which conveys associations with decay or negative conditions, and the phonetic component "直" on the right, providing its sound. This combination originally suggested a concept of growth emerging from decay, leading to its early meanings centered on planting, breeding, and multiplication. In classical usage, it applied to biological propagation and agricultural processes, as seen in terms like "繁殖". Over time, its semantic range broadened to include the establishment and expansion of settlements, exemplified in the compound "殖民", where it denotes the spreading and settling of populations. The character's form has always incorporated these two components, which continue to inform its phonetic and semantic roles in modern Chinese.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
植物繁殖靠种子。
他们养殖了很多鱼。
殖民时代已经过去。
细胞增殖是生命的基础。
人类生殖系统很复杂。
这片土地曾是殖民地。
过度养殖会破坏环境。
科学家正在研究细菌的繁殖条件。