miasma; tropical noxious vapor
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
miasma; hot, humid, noxious air in tropical/subtropical mountain forests (historically believed to cause disease)
Historically used in traditional Chinese medicine and travel literature to explain diseases contracted in southern, tropical regions. Corresponds to the Western medical concept of 'miasma' before germ theory.
Nán南
fāng方
shān山
lín林
zhàng瘴
qì气
tài太
zhòng重
，
gǔ古
rén人
bù不
gǎn敢
qīng轻
yì易
jìn进
rù入
。
The mountain forests in the south had too much miasma, so ancient people dared not enter easily.
Shì士
bīng兵
men们
yīn因
xī吸
rù入
zhàng瘴
qì气
ér而
rǎn染
shàng上
le了
nüè疟
ji疾
。
The soldiers contracted malaria from inhaling the miasma.
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Zhàng瘴
qì气
mí弥
màn漫
de的
hé河
gǔ谷
bèi被
rèn认
wéi为
shì是
sǐ死
wáng亡
zhī之
dì地
。
The valley filled with noxious vapor was considered a place of death.