About
The character "隘" derives from an early conceptualization of a narrow geographic passage, structurally formed by the radical "阝" originating from "阜" to signify terrain like hills or mounds, combined with a phonetic element that initially was "嗌" conveying the sense of a constricted throat, which later stabilized into the component "益" for its sound. This configuration inherently conveyed the idea of a confined physical space, such as a mountain pass or strategic bottleneck. Over time, its semantic range extended beyond describing mere physical narrowness to encompass abstract limitations, as observed in compounds referring to narrow-mindedness or restricted perspectives, thus preserving its core association with confinement while adapting to metaphorical applications.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这条山路很狭隘。
军队通过了那个隘口。
他的观点太狭隘了。
古代的关隘易守难攻。
由于地形狭隘，车辆行驶缓慢。
狭隘的民族主义不利于国际合作。
在战略上，那个隘口是兵家必争之地。
尽管资源匮乏，但他们并未因环境的狭隘而限制思维的广阔。