Chinese deity
- noun
- Literature
:
deidad china
- The statue resembles that of a local Chinese deity that one might find in a shrine.
Examples
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Each of these groups has its particular Chinese deities, brought from native places, who are recipients of offerings and centers of ritual activity.
Academic text (1992) -
The ancient texts describe various Chinese deities associated with nature and harvest.
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Many people visit temples to pray to their Chinese deities during festivals.
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In traditional ceremonies, offerings are made to the Chinese deities for blessings and protection.
Synonyms
62
7.4
A god or goddess that people worship and think has power over part of the world
55
3.0
An object or image that people worship and treat as having power
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'Chinese' specifies the cultural/national origin and 'deity' denotes a worshipped god or goddess, so a learner who knows both words can infer 'a god or goddess worshipped in Chinese tradition.' This adjective+noun construction is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common pattern and contains no idiomatic shift, making it immediately understandable to B1 learners.
Etymology
Chinese deity comes from long ago, when people in China believed in many local gods and spirits and left food or a small table with offerings for them, such as the Kitchen God or river spirits. Because people saw these beings as helpers for health, the harvest, or good luck, Chinese deity means 'a god or goddess' in Chinese religion.