荏苒
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Chinese[edit]
Perilla frutescens; soft | luxuriant growth; passing (of time) | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (荏苒) | 荏 | 苒 | |
simp. #(荏苒) | 荏 | 苒 | |
anagram | 苒荏 |
Etymology[edit]
A reduplicative, ideophonic compound in Late Old Chinese. Compare:
- 荏 (OC *njɯmʔ, “soft”),
- 苒苒 (OC *njamʔ njamʔ, “tender; gradual”),
- 冉冉 (OC *njamʔ njamʔ, “slowly passing or moving; hanging down gently”), and
- 荏染 (OC *njɯmʔ njomʔ, “soft; tender”) (Shijing).
Pronunciation[edit]
Verb[edit]
荏苒
- (literary, of time) to pass gradually; to elapse; to slip by quickly or imperceptibly
- 玄德回新野之後,光陰荏苒,又早新春。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
- From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14th century CE
- Xuándé huí Xīnyě zhīhòu, guāngyīn rěnrǎn, yòu zǎo xīnchūn. [Pinyin]
- After Xuande returned to Xinye, the time slipped away till spring was near.
玄德回新野之后,光阴荏苒,又早新春。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]- 荏苒三年,陞了御史,欽點廣東學道。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
- From: Wu Jingzi, The Scholars, 1750 CE
- Rěnrǎn sān nián, shēng le yùshǐ, qīndiǎn Guǎngdōng xuédào. [Pinyin]
- In three years' time, he rose to the rank of censor and was appointed commissioner of education for Guangdong Province.
荏苒三年,升了御史,钦点广东学道。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
- (literary) to waste (time); to play for time
- (literary) to pass through many places; to move about
Derived terms[edit]
Adjective[edit]
荏苒
- (literary, ideophonic, of worry, sadness, etc.) incessant; never-ending; continual
- (literary, ideophonic) Alternative form of 荏染 (“weak; delicate”)
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