Definitions

Huái (noun) Huai River (in eastern China)

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "淮" has historically functioned as a proper name for the Huai River, one of China's major waterways, with its primary semantic element, the water radical "氵", consistently denoting this aquatic association. Its traditional form incorporates the component "隹", a short-tailed bird, which originally served a phonetic role to indicate pronunciation rather than meaning. Over time, while the character’s structure remained stable, its application extended beyond the river itself to refer broadly to the geographical region through which the river flows, illustrating a common pattern where a specific hydronym generates a wider territorial designation without altering the fundamental composition of the character.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

河水很清。

Huái hé shuǐ hěn qīng.

The water of the Huai River is very clear.

河沿岸风景美丽。

Huái hé yán àn fēngjǐng měilì.

The scenery along the Huai River is beautiful.

南的橘子很有名。

Huáinán de júzi hěn yǒumíng.

The oranges from Huainan are very famous.

北地区盛产煤矿。

Huáiběi dìqū shèngchǎn méikuàng.

The Huaibei region is rich in coal mines.

扬菜是中国八大菜系之一。

Huáiyáng cài shì Zhōngguó bā dà càixì zhī yī.

Huaiyang cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines of China.

治理河是一项重要工程。

Zhìlǐ Huái hé shì yī xiàng zhòngyào gōngchéng.

Harnessing the Huai River is an important project.

河流域的气候适合农业发展。

Huái hé liúyù de qìhòu shìhé nóngyè fāzhǎn.

The climate of the Huai River basin is suitable for agricultural development.

历史上河经常发生水灾。

Lìshǐ shàng Huái hé jīngcháng fāshēng shuǐzāi.

Historically, the Huai River frequently experienced floods.