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雞犬不寧. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
雞犬不寧, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
雞犬不寧 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
雞犬不寧 you have here. The definition of the word
雞犬不寧 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
雞犬不寧, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
From Liu Zongyuan's famous prose Discourse of the Snake Catcher:
悍吏之吾鄉，叫囂乎東西，隳突乎南北，譁然而駭者，雖雞狗不得寧焉。
悍吏之吾乡，叫嚣乎东西，隳突乎南北，哗然而骇者，虽鸡狗不得宁焉。 - From: c. 805~815, 柳宗元,《捕蛇者説》, translated into English as Catching Snakes by H. A. Giles
- Hàn lì zhī wú xiāng, jiàoxiāo hū dōngxī, huītū hū nánběi, huárán ér hài zhě, suī jī gǒu bù dé níng yān.
- When those fierce government tax-collectors come, they snarl and harry wherever they reach, startling the village and upsetting the domestic animals like dogs and fowls.
Note that in many chengyu, 狗 (gǒu) is often substituted by a less derogatory and seemingly more formal synonym 犬 (quǎn).
Pronunciation
Idiom
雞犬不寧
- (raising such a fearful din that) everyone is nervous; great disturbance or turmoil