中古

zhōnggǔ

noun #40,081

Meanings

1 middle antiquity (roughly 3rd-9th centuries, Sui-Tang era)
2 the Middle Ages
3 medieval
4 used; second-hand

Characters

Examples

中古汉语的声调系统和现代不同。

Zhōnggǔ Hànyǔ de shēngdiào xìtǒng hé xiàndài bùtóng.

The tonal system of Middle Chinese differs from modern Mandarin.

日本的中古店很受欢迎。

Rìběn de zhōnggǔdiàn hěn shòu huānyíng.

Japan's second-hand shops are very popular.

Tips

usage

Two separate meanings: (1) the historical-linguistic sense — 中古汉语 = Middle Chinese, the language of the Sui-Tang reconstructed from rhyme books like 《切韵》; (2) a Japanese loan 中古 (chūko) = 'used/second-hand'. Young Chinese speakers increasingly use 中古 in sense (2) for second-hand luxury goods (中古包, 中古店).

Stroke Order

中 zhōng

古 gǔ