短

Étymologie et composants

The Chinese character 短 (duǎn) for "short" is composed of two parts: the radical 欠 (qiàn), which means "to owe" or "to lack," and the phonetic component 寸 (cùn), which means "inch" or "a short length." The combination of these two components suggests the idea of something that is lacking in length or duration, hence the meaning "short."The character 短 has a long history in Chinese writing, dating back to the oracle bone script of the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). In its earliest form, the character was written as 欠寸, with the radical 欠 on the left and the phonetic component 寸 on the right. Over time, the character evolved into its current form, with the radical 欠 simplified to a single stroke.The character 短 is used in a variety of words and phrases related to shortness or brevity, such as 短裤 (duǎn kù, "shorts"), 短篇小说 (duǎn piān xiǎoshuō, "short story"), and 短信 (duǎn xìn, "text message"). It can also be used in a figurative sense to describe something that is lacking or insufficient, such as 短视 (duǎn shì, "short-sighted") or 短命 (duǎn mìng, "short-lived").In addition to its literal meaning, the character 短 can also be used in a more abstract sense to refer to something that is transient or fleeting. For example, the phrase 人生苦短 (rén shēng kǔ duǎn, "life is short") expresses the idea that life is precious and should be珍惜 (zhēnxī, "cherished") and not wasted.Overall, the character 短 is a versatile and expressive character that can be used in a variety of contexts to convey the idea of shortness, brevity, or transience.