About
The character 纬 (traditional form 緯) is a phono-semantic compound formed from the silk radical 纟 (糸 in traditional script) and the phonetic element 韦. The silk radical indicates the character’s origin in weaving, where it specifically means the weft, the horizontal thread interlaced through the vertical warp on a loom. From this concrete textile term, the meaning extended metaphorically to geography and astronomy, where it came to represent the horizontal lines of the grid system used for mapping. Today, it is most commonly used to denote lines of latitude, transforming the idea of a physical thread into an abstract geographical coordinate based on the same concept of horizontal alignment.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这个城市的纬度很高。
纬线指示东西方向。
地图上标有经纬线。
低纬度地区气候炎热。
纺织时纬纱穿过经纱。
地球的纬度影响季节变化。
文化纬度是研究的重要方面。
通过测量恒星高度，可以确定当地的纬度。