2

Reading a little about 'dark matter': 暗物质是宇宙的重要组成部分,它是一种比电子和光子还要小的物质,不带电荷, ....

I read: 不带电荷:doesn't carry an electric lotus! (Maybe that's why it's dark!!)

电荷: electrical charge, literally probably: electricity carry or hold

Apparently 荷 meant lotus first:Original meaning 本义: Meaning lotus.

One meaning of 荷 from zdic.net

(8) 荷:拿,持 [hold]。如:荷杖(拄着拐杖)

Maybe 荷 got this meaning of 'hold, carry' because the Buddha is often pictured sitting on a lotus?

How did this meaning arise?

2 Answers 2

7

Note that in today's Putonghua 荷 meaning "lotus" is hé (the 2nd tone) and meaning "carry" is hè (the 4th tone).

enter image description here

字源 (the image above) and a couple of other dictionaries say that the verb meaning "carry" was originally written as 何. Later 何 was borrowed to write the word meaning "what", so the written form of the verb meaning "carry" was changed into 荷 to avoid confusion. So it is a chain of borrowing!

1
  • I always have trouble with tones!
    – Pedroski
    Commented Oct 13, 2020 at 22:41
3

Outlier

2 ○ to shoulder a burden [originally written 何]

Here the ○ icon is an indicator of a phonetic loan. So, basically it is just a:

character that is "borrowed" to write another homophonous or near-homophonous morpheme

1
  • 核 in 核對 doesn't mean pit; 花 in 花費 doesn't mean flower. Maybe they are phonetic loan too
    – Tang Ho
    Commented Oct 13, 2020 at 13:44

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.