Edward S. Hume, M.D., J.D.: Chinadopt
"Adoption"
in Chinese
On the list, one correspondent asked, "What is the word in Mandarin for "to adopt"? None of my phrase books lists it (please indicate tone value, too)."
So, consulting some English-Chinese dictionaries, I found the following:
To adopt (and adoption) is
Separately, the words mean:
shou1-to take, receive, accept; and
yang3-to grow, raise, rear, bring up; or
-to support or keep (a family)
Since Chinese often put two words together (e.g.- yang3 fu4 mu3-literally adoptive father mother) to indicate conjunction (e.g.-adoptive father and mother, or adoptive parents), maybe the word shou1 yang3 originally meant something like to take and bring up (as a member of one's family).
Related words are:
adopted or foster daughter: 
adopted or foster son: 
adoptive or foster mother: 
or 
adoptive or foster father: 
--ed
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