About
盟 is a phonosemantic compound, where 皿 (mǐn, 'vessel') provides the meaning and 明 (míng, 'bright') the sound. The sound component 明 is itself composed of 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), representing the luminous heavenly bodies that were called upon as witnesses in oath rituals. The vessel (皿) holds the sacrificial blood, the life force that seals the promise, while the brightness (明) invokes clarity and divine witness. The character captures an ancient practice: political figures would smear sacrificial blood from a vessel onto their lips, invoking the bright sun and moon to observe their solemn pledge. Accordingly, 盟 refers both to the ritual act of swearing a binding oath and to the resulting alliance or league, often formed around a shared purpose.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他们两国结盟了。
这个联盟非常强大。
盟友之间要互相帮助。
我们签订了和平盟约。
为了共同利益，他们组成了同盟。
这个军事盟约保障了地区的安全。
尽管有盟约约束，但冲突还是发生了。
国际联盟在维护世界和平方面发挥了重要作用。
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