About
The character 畜, structurally combining 田 for field and 玄 suggesting sustained or nurtured growth, etymologically derives from early agricultural practices of keeping and breeding animals within enclosed spaces. It originally functioned as a verb meaning to rear or domesticate livestock, a concept embedded in its pictorial composition linking land to continuous care. Over time, its semantic scope expanded to serve as a noun referring to domesticated animals collectively, thereby encompassing both the action of husbandry and the resulting livestock. This semantic broadening allowed the character to maintain its core agricultural association while adapting to more general uses in the language, with its traditional graphical form consistently reflecting these intertwined notions of cultivation and animal production.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
农场有很多牲畜。
畜牧业是重要的产业。
他们畜养了许多牛羊。
畜产品质量必须保证。
这个地区适合发展畜牧业。
农民依靠牲畜维持生计。
政府支持畜产品出口。
现代畜牧业采用高科技手段。