Definitions

liú precious stone
liú old variant of 琉[liú]
liú old variant of 琉[liú]

Etymology phono-semantic

jade

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "琉" originates as a component of the compound word "琉璃", which historically referred to a type of opaque, colored glass or gemstone, specifically lapis lazuli imported along the Silk Road. Its structure is phono-semantic, combining the "玉" (jade) radical to indicate its category as a precious, stone-like material, with "流" serving primarily to suggest its pronunciation. Over time, the character's meaning became fixed almost exclusively within this compound and a few others like "琉璃瓦" (glazed tile) and "琉球" (Ryukyu), maintaining its association with glassy, lustrous, or ceramic substances derived from its original gemstone reference without significant semantic expansion or drift.

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢璃工艺品。

Wǒ xǐhuān liúlí gōngyìpǐn.

I like glass crafts.

球群岛在日本附近。

Liúqiú qúndǎo zài Rìběn fùjìn.

The Ryukyu Islands are near Japan.

这座寺庙有璃瓦屋顶。

Zhè zuò sìmiào yǒu liúlí wǎ wūdǐng.

This temple has a glazed tile roof.

璃比普通玻璃更绚丽。

Liúlí bǐ pǔtōng bōli gèng xuànlì.

Colored glaze is more gorgeous than ordinary glass.

艺术家精心制作璃雕塑。

Yìshùjiā jīngxīn zhìzuò liúlí diāosù.

The artist carefully makes glass sculptures.

参观者惊叹于璃的璀璨光芒。

Cānguān zhě jīngtàn yú liúlí de cuǐcàn guāngmáng.

Visitors marvel at the brilliant radiance of the colored glaze.

球王国曾经是一个独立国家。

Liúqiú wángguó céngjīng shì yīgè dúlì guójiā.

The Ryukyu Kingdom was once an independent country.

在阳光下,璃制品反射出五彩斑斓的光泽。

Zài yángguāng xià, liúlí zhìpǐn fǎnshè chū wǔcǎi bānlán de guāngzé.

Under the sunlight, glass products reflect colorful and brilliant luster.