奶

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 奶 (nǎi) for "milk" is composed of two parts: the radical 女 (nǚ), which represents a woman, and the phonetic component 乃 (nǎi), which is a variant of the character 乃 (nǎi), meaning "to give". The combination of these two components suggests the idea of a woman giving milk, which is the primary meaning of the character 奶.The character 奶 has a long history in Chinese writing, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). In this early form, the character was written as a pictograph of a woman holding a breast to her mouth, clearly depicting the act of breastfeeding. Over time, the character evolved and simplified, eventually taking on its current form.In addition to its primary meaning of "milk", the character 奶 can also be used in a number of other contexts. For example, it can be used as a term of endearment for a mother or grandmother, similar to the English word "mommy" or "grandma". It can also be used to refer to a wet nurse or nanny, someone who is hired to care for and feed a child.The character 奶 is also used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, the idiom 奶水不足 (nǎi shuǐ bù zú) means "not enough milk", and is used to describe a situation where there are insufficient resources to meet a need. Another idiom, 奶水充足 (nǎi shuǐ chōng zú), means "an abundance of milk", and is used to describe a situation where there are more than enough resources to meet a need.Overall, the character 奶 is a versatile and important character in Chinese writing, with a rich history and a variety of meanings and uses.