桑梓
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Chinese[edit]
mulberry tree | Catalpa kaempferi | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (桑梓) | 桑 | 梓 | |
simp. #(桑梓) | 桑 | 梓 |
Etymology[edit]
桑 (sāng, “mulberry”) and 梓 (zǐ, “Catalpa ovata, Chinese catalpa”) used to be commonly planted next to residences, and have been used as a metonym for one's birthplace since the Eastern Han.
- 桑梓二木,古者五畝之宅,樹之墻下,以遺子孫……桑梓,父母所植。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: Zhu Xi, Commentaries on the Book of Odes
- Sāng zǐ èr mù, gǔ zhě wǔmǔzhīzhái, shù zhī qiáng xià, yǐ wèi zǐsūn...... Sāng zǐ, fùmǔ suǒ zhí. [Pinyin]
- In ancient times, two types of trees, sāng and zǐ, were planted along the walls of the house as a bestowment to the next generation... Sāng and zǐ – it was the parents who planted them.
桑梓二木,古者五亩之宅,树之墙下,以遗子孙……桑梓,父母所植。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
桑梓
- (literary, figurative) hometown; birthplace
- Synonym: 枌榆 (fényú)