语支 (yǔzhī): language branch (linguistics)

Meanings

1 language branch (linguistics)
2 subdivision of a language family

Characters

语

Examples

汉语属于汉藏语系的汉语语支。

Hànyǔ shǔyú Hàn-Zàng yǔxì de Hànyǔ yǔzhī.

Chinese belongs to the Sinitic branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family.

斯拉夫语支包括俄语、波兰语等。

Sīlāfū yǔzhī bāokuò Éyǔ, Bōlányǔ děng.

The Slavic language branch includes Russian, Polish and others.

Tips

usage

Linguistics hierarchy in Chinese: 语系 (yǔxì, family) > 语族 (yǔzú, group) > 语支 (yǔzhī, branch) > 语言 (language). Used almost exclusively in academic linguistic writing.

Stroke Order

语 yǔ

支 zhī

Related Words

支路 zhīlù #33,617

branch road; side road; minor road / (electronics) branch circuit; parallel branch

语言 yǔyán HSK 2 #2,238

language

语 yǔ #1,470

language; speech / words; expression / to tell; to say

外国语学校 wàiguóyǔxuéxiào

foreign-language school (selective K-12 school specialising in foreign-language instruction)

团支部 tuánzhībù

Communist Youth League branch (at a class, workplace, or grassroots unit) / CYL branch

团支书 tuánzhīshū

Youth League branch secretary / secretary of a Communist Youth League branch

言语 yányǔ HSK 5 #6,776

words; speech / language (literary)

支 zhī HSK 4 #933

to support; to prop up / branch; offshoot / measure word for pens, songs, teams, etc.

语素 yǔsù

morpheme / smallest meaningful unit of language

韵语 yùnyǔ

rhymed language / verse / rhymed text