In fact, if you want to understand the words' origin you'd better learn the original (traditional) form. So in the series I will type both modern and traditional Chinese for you to have a better undersdtanding.
1. 爱/ 愛 [4i]
In English: love
Word origin: In the middle of this character is 心, the "heart". Love of course comes from the heart. The word functions as a noun and a verb, but mostly is used as a verb. This character is formed by four different parts. From top is 爫, a claw; 冖, tightly; 心, the heart; and finally the 攵, to tap gently. So the character愛(original form) seems to already give a very vivid definition of "love": to grab the heart tightly but to tap gently.
2. 爱心/愛心 [4i xin]
In English: a loving heart, kindness, generosity
Word origin: 心 is the character for heart. When爱and 心form a term, it refers to all the good deeds and thoughts generated from love. The term functions as a noun.
3. 爱情/ 愛情 [4i chin]
In English: love, love affair, the feeling of love
Word origin: 情is the character for feelings, emotion, and affair. This phrase to refer to the emotion and feelings relating to love. The term is used as a noun.
4. 爱人/ 愛人 [4i rén]
In English: to love others/people/a person, lover
Word origin: 人is person/people. This word is a pictographic form of a person standing with both hands on the side and legs wide apart. This position is a strong standing posture and thus is perceived as a form for 'person'.
爱and人 together become a term for "lover" when the term refers to the loved one. The term also is used as a verb
to stand for "to love".
Grace, thanks for this - I found the "ai" explanation very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOften in the West, the word "lover" is used not just in the context of "being in love with each other", but taken to be "the person I make love with".
I am assuming, knowing a bit about Chinese culture, that a physical relationship is not implied by the use of "ai ren" - dui bu dui?
Thanks again
Greg
hmm I only know the word "partner" means "the person I make love with"...
ReplyDeleteyeah "ai ren" doesn't imply a physical relationship. u know, Chinese are more conservative
Grace Lee