<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.zdic.net/hant/%E5%BD%99" rel="nofollow noreferrer">彙</a></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>2: 類; 4: 聚合</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If 彙 in 辭彙 means '類' (type), the explanation would be: <strong>辭彙 = word types</strong></p>
<p>If 彙 in 辭彙 means '聚合' (gather), the explanation would be: <strong>辭彙 = gathering of words</strong></p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="http://pedia.cloud.edu.tw/Entry/Detail/?title=%E8%BE%AD%E5%BD%99" rel="nofollow noreferrer">辭彙</a>: 一種語言裡所有語詞和固定詞組等的總稱。除一般語詞外，還包括古語、方言、外來語詞及各科術語。 (A general term for all words and fixed phrases in a language. In addition to general words, it also includes archaic words, dialects, foreign words and terms of various subjects.)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>My theory on how the meaning of 'gather' was extended from hedgehog:</p>
<p><em>When someone got shot by many arrows, it is commonly described as 被射成刺蝟一般 (be shot to look like a hedgehog). Similar to pin cushion gathering pins
We can compare a pin cushion to an empty field and compare the pins as words and particles. A language is like a pin cushion gathered many 'pins' -- like quills gathering on a hedgehog's back</em></p>
<p>Since '匯' and '彙' sound the same and both contain the meaning of 'gather',  辭匯 had become an accepted variant of 辭彙 in modern Chinese.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-26T05:02:49.933Z
2020-07-26T06:03:02.323Z
2020-07-26T06:03:02.323Z
Tang Ho
<p>词汇, in traditional chinese should be: 辞匯</p>
<p>匯, means put together. 例如: 江河汇入大海</p>
<p>辞, means words.</p>
<p>彙 means animals or something, but it also equals to 匯. refer to: <a href="https://hanyu.baidu.com/zici/s?wd=%E6%B1%87&amp;query=%E6%B1%87%20%E7%B9%81%E4%BD%93&amp;srcid=28236&amp;from=kg0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://hanyu.baidu.com/zici/s?wd=%E6%B1%87&amp;query=%E6%B1%87%20%E7%B9%81%E4%BD%93&amp;srcid=28236&amp;from=kg0</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-26T04:22:29.060Z
In traditional Chinese is either [辭彙](https://www.moedict.tw/%E8%BE%AD%E5%BD%99#gsc.tab=0) or [詞彙](https://www.moedict.tw/%E8%A9%9E%E5%BD%99#gsc.tab=0). 詞匯 can be understood, but when you choose words in input method, 詞彙 is first which comes up.
Firmin Martin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-26T04:07:35.367Z
2020-07-26T04:07:35.367Z
Siwei
<p>词汇 means vocabulary or words and phrases.</p>
<p>In traditional characters (I noticed today) that would be: 詞彙 and 彙 is a word for hedgehog (刺猬）。(詞彙: word hedgehog)</p>
<p>Did the ancient Chinese gather hedgehogs? Did 彙 mean &quot;gather&quot; first and &quot;hedgehog&quot; later?</p>
<p>How are &quot;hedgehog&quot; and &quot;gather&quot; related? As far as I know, hedgehogs are not gregarious little beasts, too spiky!</p>
<p>(I know the British used to catch hedgehogs, cover them in mud and bake them in a fire. Probably still do 'up North'.  Mmmm, delicious!)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-26T03:14:20.460Z
omg  where did you find that “彙” mean hedgehogs?
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-26T03:24:07.947Z
《爾雅•釋獸》：“彙，毛刺。”郭璞注：“彙，今蝟，狀似鼠。”
Firmin Martin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-07-26T06:02:41.633Z
@ 水巷孑蠻 1.  https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E5%BD%99
Pedroski
<meaning><etymology>
How did the hedgehog come to mean gather?
# How did the hedgehog come to mean gather?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-07-26)

词汇 means vocabulary or words and phrases.

In traditional characters (I noticed today) that would be: 詞彙 and 彙 is a word for hedgehog (刺猬）。(詞彙: word hedgehog)

Did the ancient Chinese gather hedgehogs? Did 彙 mean "gather" first and "hedgehog" later?

How are "hedgehog" and "gather" related? As far as I know, hedgehogs are not gregarious little beasts, too spiky!

(I know the British used to catch hedgehogs, cover them in mud and bake them in a fire. Probably still do 'up North'. Mmmm, delicious!)

**Tags:** meaning, etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: omg  where did you find that “彙” mean hedgehogs?  
> **username_2**: 《爾雅•釋獸》：“彙，毛刺。”郭璞注：“彙，今蝟，狀似鼠。”  
> **username_0**: @ username_1 1.  https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E5%BD%99  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-07-26. Score: 1

> [彙](https://www.zdic.net/hant/%E5%BD%99)

> 2: 類; 4: 聚合

If 彙 in 辭彙 means '類' (type), the explanation would be: **辭彙 = word types**

If 彙 in 辭彙 means '聚合' (gather), the explanation would be: **辭彙 = gathering of words**

> [辭彙](http://pedia.cloud.edu.tw/Entry/Detail/?title=%E8%BE%AD%E5%BD%99): 一種語言裡所有語詞和固定詞組等的總稱。除一般語詞外，還包括古語、方言、外來語詞及各科術語。 (A general term for all words and fixed phrases in a language. In addition to general words, it also includes archaic words, dialects, foreign words and terms of various subjects.)

My theory on how the meaning of 'gather' was extended from hedgehog:

*When someone got shot by many arrows, it is commonly described as 被射成刺蝟一般 (be shot to look like a hedgehog). Similar to pin cushion gathering pins
We can compare a pin cushion to an empty field and compare the pins as words and particles. A language is like a pin cushion gathered many 'pins' -- like quills gathering on a hedgehog's back*

Since '匯' and '彙' sound the same and both contain the meaning of 'gather', 辭匯 had become an accepted variant of 辭彙 in modern Chinese.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2020-07-26. Score: 0

词汇, in traditional chinese should be: 辞匯

匯, means put together. 例如: 江河汇入大海

辞, means words.

彙 means animals or something, but it also equals to 匯. refer to: <https://hanyu.baidu.com/zici/s?wd=%E6%B1%87&query=%E6%B1%87%20%E7%B9%81%E4%BD%93&srcid=28236&from=kg0>

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: In traditional Chinese is either [辭彙](https://www.moedict.tw/%E8%BE%AD%E5%BD%99#gsc.tab=0) or [詞彙](https://www.moedict.tw/%E8%A9%9E%E5%BD%99#gsc.tab=0). 詞匯 can be understood, but when you choose words in input method, 詞彙 is first which comes up.  

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