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zhang

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A Chinese unit of length equal to approximately 10 feet or 3.3 meters; used for measuring buildings, land, and longer distances.

Detailed Definition
The zhang (丈), measuring approximately 3.3 meters (10 Chinese feet), serves for architectural description, land measurement, and longer linear dimensions in Chinese contexts. Ten chi equal one zhang. Classical and modern Chinese texts use zhang for building dimensions, wall heights, and similar measurements. In English poetry treating Chinese settings, architecture, or translations of Chinese literature, zhang provides authentic measurement vocabulary. The term signals engagement with Chinese sources and cultural contexts. Poets employed zhang when describing Chinese architectural wonders, landscapes, or when translating Chinese works where maintaining measurement authenticity enhanced cultural fidelity and exotic setting.
Example
Example in poetry:
In translations of Chinese poetry, "the wall extended fifty zhang into the sky" maintains traditional measurement and cultural context; Poetry about Chinese architecture might reference "the pagoda rose twelve zhang, each level precisely measured"; In verse about Chinese engineering, "zhang by zhang they built the canal, systematic measurement organizing massive labor"; Historical poetry about the Great Wall uses "zhang for height, li for length—Chinese measurements for Chinese wonders"; Modern poets writing about Chinese heritage might contrast "grandfather calculated in zhang; I use meters—but the old measurements persist in classical architecture"; Poetry about Chinese landscape painting often describes "mountains measured in zhang on silk, tradition encoding scale through brushwork and measurement."
Additional Notes
The zhang represents Chinese length measure—approximately 10 Chinese feet or 3.3 meters, fundamental to Chinese architecture and land measurement. Students should understand that zhang (丈) equals 10 chi, showing decimal subdivision in Chinese measurement. The term appears throughout Chinese literature when describing buildings, walls, distances, and architectural dimensions. Understanding Chinese measurement hierarchy (cun < chi < zhang < li) helps students grasp systematic thinking. In poetry about Chinese architecture, engineering, or translations of Chinese texts, maintaining "zhang" rather than converting to feet preserves cultural authenticity. The zhang appears in descriptions of the Great Wall, temples, palaces, and imperial projects. Students should recognize that Chinese measurements, like Western systems, connected to human scale (zhang originally related to human height/reach). Related terms include chi (1/10 zhang), cun (1/100 zhang), and li (distance). For students translating Chinese poetry or writing about Chinese architecture, using zhang demonstrates respect for Chinese measurement heritage and adds cultural authenticity. The zhang can represent Chinese architectural grandeur, systematic measurement, or cultural traditions persisting alongside modern metrics. The term evokes Great Wall, temples, and traditional Chinese construction.
Also Known As
Chinese zhang
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