<p>A phrase you'll often hear is: "It's a tradition in our family."</p>

<p>Now extend family to 民族</p>

<p>The word tradition comes from: trans 过 + dare 送给 (Originally in the sense of Jewish instruction, Mosaic Law, it seems.)</p>

<p>传统: 传承血统 pass on bloodline</p>

<p>Whereby, 血统 does not just indicate the dna I think, but all the idiosyncrasies that come with it, the dances, the funny hats, the strange and wonderful delicacies, the social expressions of that bloodline.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-07T22:37:57.453Z
2019-05-07T22:37:57.453Z
Pedroski
<p>The 傳 in 傳統 is easy to understand. Tradition is transmitted. As the dictionary(MOE) says: 世代相傳.</p>

<p>But what about the 統？It has many meanings, including verbal ones. </p>

<ul>
<li>One (絲的頭緒) refers to the main thread of silk. So is 傳統 the essential, important part of transmission?</li>
<li>Another says: 相繼不絕的體系、關係。如：「血統」. So is it the uninterrupted transmission?</li>
<li>A third one says: 綱要, the essentials, similar to my first guess.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-07T20:24:35.123Z
cf. bkrs：统 名
I b.f.
1) order; system (系统)
 
（事物间连续的关系） interconnected system:
系统 system; genealogy
血统 blood relationship; blood lineage
体统 decorum; decency
user6065
<etymology>
What is the 統 in 傳統？
# What is the 統 in 傳統？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-07)

The 傳 in 傳統 is easy to understand. Tradition is transmitted. As the dictionary(MOE) says: 世代相傳.

But what about the 統？It has many meanings, including verbal ones.

* One (絲的頭緒) refers to the main thread of silk. So is 傳統 the essential, important part of transmission?
* Another says: 相繼不絕的體系、關係。如：「血統」. So is it the uninterrupted transmission?
* A third one says: 綱要, the essentials, similar to my first guess.

**Tags:** etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: cf. bkrs：统 名 I b.f. 1) order; system (系统)   （事物间连续的关系） interconnected system: 系统 system; genealogy 血统 blood relationship; blood lineage 体统 decorum; decency  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-07. Score: 1

A phrase you'll often hear is: "It's a tradition in our family."

Now extend family to 民族

The word tradition comes from: trans 过 + dare 送给 (Originally in the sense of Jewish instruction, Mosaic Law, it seems.)

传统: 传承血统 pass on bloodline

Whereby, 血统 does not just indicate the dna I think, but all the idiosyncrasies that come with it, the dances, the funny hats, the strange and wonderful delicacies, the social expressions of that bloodline.


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