线路
xiànlù · HSK 6
route
🔌🛤️ 线 line + 路 road = the road a line takes — a route or circuit
Think of it as the path (路) that a wire or line (线) follows. Whether it's an electrical circuit, a bus route, or cable wiring, it's always about the course a line traces from A to B.
线 — silk radical 纟 + 戋 (jiān, phonetic)
线 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The silk radical 纟 signals the meaning 'thread' or 'string,' while 戋 hints at the sound. Originally referring to silk thread, its meaning broadened to any thin line, wire, or route. The traditional form is 線.
路 — foot 足 + each 各 (phonetic)
路 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The foot radical 足 on the left signals meaning related to walking or travel, while 各 on the right hints at the ancient pronunciation. Originally referring to a road traveled on foot, it broadened to mean 'road, path, route' in general.