球鞋

The Chinese word 球鞋 (qiúxié) for "sneakers" is a compound of two characters: 球 (qiú), meaning "ball," and 鞋 (xié), meaning "shoe." The term 球鞋 is used to refer to sports shoes designed specifically for playing ball games such as basketball, football, tennis, etc.The character 球 (qiú) has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). It was originally used to refer to a round object, such as a ball or a pearl. Over time, the meaning of 球 expanded to include other round objects, such as the Earth and the moon. In modern Chinese, 球 is used to refer to any ball-shaped object, including sports balls.The character 鞋 (xié) also has a long history in Chinese, dating back to the Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BCE). It was originally used to refer to a type of footwear made of leather or cloth. Over time, the meaning of 鞋 expanded to include other types of footwear, such as sandals and boots. In modern Chinese, 鞋 is used to refer to any type of footwear.The compound 球鞋 (qiúxié) is a relatively new term, dating back to the early 20th century. It was coined to refer to sports shoes designed specifically for playing ball games. The term 球鞋 is now widely used in Chinese to refer to sneakers.