宗 zōng ancestry
ancestry; clan; family; lineage; religion; school
How it came to be
A roof with an altar drawn under it. Not a temple down the road, but the altar to the ancestors inside the house, which a clan was organised around.
用法
- Clan/lineage, and by extension a school or a main category: 祖宗 (zǔzong) ancestors, 宗教 (zōngjiào) religion, 宗旨 (zōngzhǐ) guiding aim.
- As a measure word for large transactions/cases: 一宗生意 (yì zōng shēngyì) a piece of business, 大宗商品 (dàzōng shāngpǐn) bulk commodities.
- 正宗 (zhèngzōng) = authentic/orthodox: 正宗川菜 genuine Sichuan food.