玁 (xiǎn) - Fierce, savage & refers to a fierce ancient tribe or barbarians

玁Tone 3

xiǎn ｜ 22 strokes ｜ radical:

万响

玁 · xiǎn

Fierce, savage;

refers to a fierce ancient tribe or barbarians;

also used to describe something ferocious or wild.

Fierce, savagerefers to a fierce ancient tribe or barbariansalso used to describe something ferocious or wild.

Usage highlights

Xianyun tribeferocious appearancebarbarian invasionfierce and wildsavage tribe

Synonyms

  • 獫— fierce, savage (variant form)
  • 蠻— barbarian, savage
  • 悍— fierce, brave

Antonyms

  • 文— civilized, cultured
  • 雅— elegant, refined

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient texts mention the fierce Xianyun tribe (玁狁).
  • He had a ferocious expression (玁獰的表情).
  • The poem describes the barbarian invaders (玁狁之故).

Collocations

  • Xianyun tribe(玁狁)
  • ferocious appearance(玁獰)
  • barbarian invasion(玁狁之患)
  • fierce and wild(玁悍)
  • savage tribe(玁戎)

Idioms

  • The Xianyun pressing on the borders(玁狁孔熾)
  • To campaign against the Xianyun(征伐玁狁)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 玁狁 was an ancient nomadic tribe frequently mentioned in early Chinese texts as a northern threat.
  • The character appears in the Classic of Poetry (詩經) describing conflicts with northern tribes.
  • Represents the classical Chinese concept of 'barbarians' from the northern frontiers.

FAQ