my Wenlin dictionary describes 子 as also a measure word for bundles/hanks etc. Can anyone confirm this ? by sample sentence ?
3 Answers
Classifier for 'bundles/hanks' is '束', as in '一束花' (a bundle of flower); '一束头发' (a hank of hair)
The only classifier using 子 is for 'chess/ Go piece' or 'chess/ Go move',
Example:
'讓你兩子棋' (give you two stones handicap)
"需要深入思考每一子棋" (need to think deep for each chess move).
'步' as in "需要深入思考每一步棋" is more common that 子 when using as classifier for chess move
A prominent example for 子 as a classifier for chess/Go piece:
一子錯, 滿盆皆落索 - one piece (of chess) (placed) wrong, the entire game (situation) become untenable
So, yeah, ABC (which wenlin is based off) does say indeed say that but it doesn't really expand upon it.
Pleco gives examples:
MEASURE WORD
[for sth. long and thin]一子儿挂面
yī zǐr guàmiàn
a bundle of fine dried noodles一子儿毛线
yī zǐr máoxiàn
a skein of knitting wool
Apparently you can use it with things that are long and thin. Oxford also gives the same examples but stylizes them like this:
一子(儿)挂面
a bundle of fine dried noodles一子(儿)毛线
a hank of knitting wool
MoE also has an entry that reads:
量 用於能用手指掐住的一束細長的東西。
《敦煌變文集‧漢將王陵變》
若借大王寶劍, 卸下一子頭髮。
Notice that the example sentence doesn’t have erhuaization.
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No used frequently as the quanity word.
Searching google with "一子儿头发", you find only 12 results, most are either archaic or dialect. But with "一把头发",you have 102 results, and with “一绺头发”，you have 106 results，with "一缕头发",you have 96 results.
I am a professor on mechanics and a native chinese speaker.
