Luoman Posted September 9, 2007 at 01:07 PM Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 at 01:07 PM I want to ask if the Chinese words 鲨 and 胎 are phonetical translations of the English "shark" and "tyre". Or maybe the origin is not what I think? Thanks a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mugi Posted September 10, 2007 at 12:22 AM Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 at 12:22 AM 鲨 has existed before Chinese had any contact with English, although it didn't always refer to a "shark". I think similarities in pronunciation are probably coincidental. 胎 however is a well-known loan word (from the English "tyre", as you suspected). 胎 usually means "embryo" or "fetus." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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