<p>Guessing what is missing is always a thing in Chinese. Very plausible answers may not be what the author actually meant. Maybe nothing is missing?</p>
<p>As Janus Bahs Jacquet noted is his comment, 渐 may mean <em>water seeping</em>. We can translate北渐 as <em>crept northward</em>.</p>
<p>渐:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Character decomposition 字形分解 [?]: Compound 漸 from three-dot-water 氵
shuǐ and phonetic chop (斩)斬 zhǎn simp 渐.<br />
Decomposition notes 字形分解说明
[?]: (- water seeping).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>经历夏商至西周和春秋战国时代，<br />
Through the Xia, Shang, Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods,<br />
随着楚人势力的北渐，<br />
as Chu influence crept northward,<br />
淮河流域不仅是楚人与中原诸侯争夺的前沿，<br />
the Huái Hé river basin was not only the frontier for military clashes between Chu and Central Plains feudal lords,<br />
同时也是中原文化与楚文化交流、碰撞、融合的黄金地带。<br />
At the same time it was the Golden Zone, where Central Plain culture and Chu culture interacted, collided and combined.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-26T05:43:50.560Z
2024-08-26T05:43:50.560Z
Pedroski
<p>渐 itself is not a verb for 'expand'. it is a shorthand for 渐进 --&gt; 逐渐推进 (gradually advance) in this sentence.</p>
<p>北渐 = 向北渐进 (gradually advancing northward)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-25T10:30:36.590Z
It’s worth noting that 漸 as a verb originally denoted the gradual flow of water, hence ‘gradually advancing/expanding’; so historically 漸 is indeed a verb meaning ‘expand (gradually)’ – that meaning is just no longer productive.
Janus Bahs Jacquet
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-08-24T17:03:18.153Z
2024-08-24T17:03:18.153Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
<p>经历夏商至西周和春秋战国时代，随着楚人势力的北渐，淮河流域不仅是楚人与中原诸侯争夺的前沿，同时也是中原文化与楚文化交流、碰撞、融合的黄金地带。（<a href="https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1658107327731140574&amp;wfr=spider&amp;for=pc&amp;searchword=%E5%85%88%E7%A7%A6%E6%B7%AE%E6%B2%B3%E6%96%87%E6%98%8E%E7%9A%84%E5%8E%86%E5%8F%B2%E5%9C%B0%E4%BD%8D" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a>）</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It seems to mean &quot;expanded northward,&quot; but can 渐 mean &quot;expand&quot;?</p>

<meaning>
What does 北渐 mean?
# What does 北渐 mean?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-08-24)

> 经历夏商至西周和春秋战国时代，随着楚人势力的北渐，淮河流域不仅是楚人与中原诸侯争夺的前沿，同时也是中原文化与楚文化交流、碰撞、融合的黄金地带。（[Source](https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1658107327731140574&wfr=spider&for=pc&searchword=%E5%85%88%E7%A7%A6%E6%B7%AE%E6%B2%B3%E6%96%87%E6%98%8E%E7%9A%84%E5%8E%86%E5%8F%B2%E5%9C%B0%E4%BD%8D)）

It seems to mean "expanded northward," but can 渐 mean "expand"?

**Tags:** meaning


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-08-24. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

渐 itself is not a verb for 'expand'. it is a shorthand for 渐进 --> 逐渐推进 (gradually advance) in this sentence.

北渐 = 向北渐进 (gradually advancing northward)

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: It’s worth noting that 漸 as a verb originally denoted the gradual flow of water, hence ‘gradually advancing/expanding’; so historically 漸 is indeed a verb meaning ‘expand (gradually)’ – that meaning is just no longer productive.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2024-08-26. Score: 0

Guessing what is missing is always a thing in Chinese. Very plausible answers may not be what the author actually meant. Maybe nothing is missing?

As username_3 Bahs username_3 noted is his comment, 渐 may mean *water seeping*. We can translate北渐 as *crept northward*.

渐:

> Character decomposition 字形分解 [?]: Compound 漸 from three-dot-water 氵
> shuǐ and phonetic chop (斩)斬 zhǎn simp 渐.  
> Decomposition notes 字形分解说明
> [?]: (- water seeping).

经历夏商至西周和春秋战国时代，  
Through the Xia, Shang, Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, and Warring States periods,  
随着楚人势力的北渐，  
as Chu influence crept northward,  
淮河流域不仅是楚人与中原诸侯争夺的前沿，  
the Huái Hé river basin was not only the frontier for military clashes between Chu and Central Plains feudal lords,  
同时也是中原文化与楚文化交流、碰撞、融合的黄金地带。  
At the same time it was the Golden Zone, where Central Plain culture and Chu culture interacted, collided and combined.


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