支吾
Chinese edit
(a measure word); to support; to sustain (a measure word); to support; to sustain; to erect; to raise; branch; division; to draw money |
I; my | ||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (支吾) | 支 | 吾 | |
simp. #(支吾) | 支 | 吾 | |
alternative forms | 枝梧 |
Etymology edit
The semantic development was “to support > to resist; to defy > to cope with; to deal with > to (fail to) resist > to stall off; to boggle > to falter; to equivocate”. All other senses are basically obsolete in the modern language.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
支吾
- to falter; to prevaricate; to equivocate
- (archaic) to deal with a person just for the occasion
- (archaic) to prop up; to support
- (archaic) to resist; to defy; to oppose
- (archaic) to handle
- (archaic) to divert oneself from loneliness
- (archaic) to hesitate
Derived terms edit
Adjective edit
支吾
- (archaic) in a predicament