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I recently noticed that the word 挺 (which I know mainly as an intensifier) also is the measure word for 機槍, machine guns. Now machine guns are a fairly recent invention, so I am wondering: Is it known who chose this measure word for them and why?

Kusma
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  • bkrs：挺 I v.
    1. stick/bulge out
    2. endure

    你能挺多久？ How long can you endure? 3) slang deal with; handle II b.f.

    1. erect; firm (笔挺)
    2. distinguished; standing out (英挺)

    III adv. very; rather; quite IV m. for machine guns (frequency rank) #778

     – user6065 Aug 19 '18 at 22:59
  • @user6065 please, what is bkrs ? – faure Aug 23 '18 at 10:57
  • suggestion: search web using "bkrs" – user6065 Aug 23 '18 at 11:43

1 Answers1

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挺，表数量，用于条状物。

As a measure word, 挺 refers to something that is long.

In《太平御览》卷八三五，it says 壶中大钱一千，以通九泉之路，蜡烛一挺，以照七尺之尸。

In modern Chinese, 一挺蜡烛 is no longer commonly used.

zyy
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    Ah, so I guessed wrong: instead of somebody deciding to use it as a new measure word for machine guns, it is an old measure word that no longer has any other uses. That makes a lot of sense, thank you! – Kusma Aug 19 '18 at 21:51
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    @Kusma I have never thought about this deeply before you asked, thank you too! – zyy Aug 20 '18 at 01:21