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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

Chinese

分道揚鑣

/fən⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ pi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
to part ways; to part company
  • 分道扬镳
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The phrase describes two horses parting ways, symbolized by the diverging paths and the lifting of their separate horse bits.
The phrase describes two horses parting ways, symbolized by the diverging paths and the lifting of their separate horse bits.

Origin

The phrase is derived from the Book of Wei, chapter 14, where Emperor Xiaowen mediated a dispute between two officials regarding their priority of passage. It is also noted in the Book of Northern History, volume 15. The expression is composed of the characters 分 (to divide or separate), 道 (a path or course), 揚 (to lift, raise, or hoist), and 鑣 (horse bit). To 揚鑣 is to drive a horse forward.

The character 分 contains the components 八 (eight) and 刀 (knife or blade). The character 道 includes the semantic components 行 (to walk) and 止 (foot). The character 行 is further composed of 彳 (to walk slowly) and 亍 (to stop or stand still).

Confidence: high · written by gemma4:26b, checked statement-by-statement against the sources below.

這個成語出自《北史·卷十五·魏諸宗室傳·河間公齊傳》，也有說法源自《魏書·神元平文諸帝子孫列傳第二》，記載了孝文帝調解兩位官員爭論優先通行權的故事。在字面上，「鑣」指馬嚼子，「揚鑣」則是驅馬前進的意思。

成語由「分」、「道」、「揚」、「鑣」四個字組成。「分」包含「八」與「刀」兩個部分，意為分隔或分開。「道」是指事物移動、流動或延伸的路徑，由表示「走」的「行」與表示「腳」的「止」構成，其中「行」包含「彳」與「亍」兩個部分。「揚」意為舉起、抬高或吊起。

Confidence: high · written by gemma4:26b, checked statement-by-statement against the sources below.

Lineage

  • characterChinese分 “to divide; to separate”
    • ideaChinese八 “eight”
    • ideaChinese刀 “knife; blade (Classifier: 把 m c g h j mb md w x; 張／张 c h; 叢／丛 mn; 支 mn mn-t)”
  • characterChinese道 “a path or course along which something moves, flows or extends”
    • meaningChinese行 “to walk”
      • componentChinese彳 “to walk slowly”
      • componentChinese亍 “to stop; to stand still”
    • meaningChinese止 “foot”
  • characterChinese揚 “to lift; to raise; to hoist”
  • characterChinese鑣 “horse bit”
Wiktionary etymology text

From the Book of Wei, chapter 14 (《魏書·神元平文諸帝子孫列傳第二》), where Emperor Xiaowen mediates between two officials arguing over their priority of passage.

From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Meanings

phrase
  1. to part ways; to part company

國語辭典 definitions

  1. 鑣，馬嚼子。揚鑣，驅馬前進。比喻本來共處的人，後因志向、目的不同而各奔前程。語本《北史．卷十五．魏諸宗室傳．河間公齊傳》。 例：他們原本形影不離，但畢業後便分道揚鑣，十幾年來都沒有再見過面。
  2. 指分路而行。 例：自從在宜蘭分道揚鑣以後，他就人間蒸發，音訊全無。

© Ministry of Education, Taiwan — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW, shown unaltered.

Sources

  • etymagent (local gemma4:26b) — Generated
  • 教育部《國語辭典簡編本》 (Taiwan MOE) — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW
  • Written form — n/a
  • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Wiktionary: 分道揚鑣