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Glite Dictionary
Shang dynasty

Shang dynasty

8.0
An early Chinese ruling family that governed China from about 1700 to 1100 BC
  • proper noun
  • /ʃɑŋ ˈdaɪnəsti/
translation icon : dinastía Shang
  • Many artifacts from the Shang dynasty, including oracle bones, provide insight into ancient Chinese culture.

Examples

  • I too have wondered if there were a relationship between tattoos and the decorations on Chinese bronzes (particularly those from the Shang dynasty).

    Blog text (26)

  • The Shang dynasty is known for its advancements in bronze casting and writing.

  • Maybe we go farther back and look at Shang dynasty oracle bones.

    Blog text (32)

  • Historians often study the political structure of the Shang dynasty to understand early Chinese governance.

Synonyms

Shang
vsShang dynasty
8 9.3

A ruling family in ancient China known for bronze work and early writing

focuses on its status as one of the earliest recorded dynasties in China

Surface Forms

Shang dynasty main

Morphology

Shang + dynasty

The meaning is directly compositional: 'Shang' is the name of the ruling family/place and 'dynasty' means a succession of rulers, so together they denote the ruling house/period of the Shang. The pattern 'X dynasty' is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Shang dynasty comes from the ruling family called Shang in ancient China. The word dynasty means 'rule by one family', so Shang dynasty refers to the time long ago when the Shang family ruled.