give birth to a girl; birth of a daughter (classical)
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 2 examplesverb
to give birth to a girl
archaicAn archaic idiom originating from ancient China, where newborn girls were given 'wa' (clay tiles or primitive spindles) as toys, symbolizing domestic duties. Contrasts with '弄璋' (nòng zhāng), meaning 'to give birth to a boy,' who was given jade tablets. It is used in formal, historical, or literary contexts.
Gǔ古
rén人
wén闻
nòng弄
wǎ瓦
zhī之
xǐ喜
，
suī虽
yuè悦
ér而
bù不
ruò若
nòng弄
zhāng璋
zhī之
qìng庆
。
Upon hearing the joy of a daughter's birth, the ancients were happy, but not as celebratory as for a son's birth.
Zài在
zōng宗
fǎ法
shè社
huì会
，
nòng弄
wǎ瓦
yì意
wèi味
zhe着
jì继
chéng承
jiā家
yè业
de的
xī希
wàng望
miǎo渺
máng茫
。
In a patriarchal clan society, the birth of a daughter meant slim hopes of inheriting the family business.