<p>started from the word “動員”, a translation of mobilisation</p>
<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000049169" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=Z00000049169</a></p>
<p>afterward, people (人員) would return / resume (復 —-&gt; 恢復) their civilian roles prior to the war.</p>
<p>“員” means 4, 5 of this expaltionations:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>從事某種職業的人。如：「教員」、「服務員」、「公務員」。</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>團體中的一分子。如：「黨員」、「會員」、「團員」。</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000011819" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&amp;searchid=W00000011819</a></p>
<p>have fun :)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-05T12:56:52.517Z
2021-08-05T12:56:52.517Z
水巷孑蠻
<p>As I was reading about a former serviceman, I found out that 復員 actually means DE-mobilisation. My intuition would have been strikingly wrong! It is intuitive that 復 means “re-“ or “again”. But for 員 I would have thought that it meant “serviceman“. Thus, I would have guessed it meant „RE-mobilisation“.</p>
<p>Why is this intuition wrong? Is the meaning of 員 involved the one interpreted in the 漢語大詞典 as 众人 pronounced yun2?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-05T08:56:37.973Z
I think it's that they're "returning" home and not back into the field.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-05T08:58:15.717Z
@Mou某 yes, quite! But why is this implied in 員？
Ludi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-05T09:18:18.993Z
復員 --> 恢復在役人員的平民身份 = restore the civilian status of active personnel ; 

Before a serviceman is mobilized, he was a civilian
Tang Ho
<etymology>
Etymology of 復員
# Etymology of 復員

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-05)

As I was reading about a former serviceman, I found out that 復員 actually means DE-mobilisation. My intuition would have been strikingly wrong! It is intuitive that 復 means “re-“ or “again”. But for 員 I would have thought that it meant “serviceman“. Thus, I would have guessed it meant „RE-mobilisation“.

Why is this intuition wrong? Is the meaning of 員 involved the one interpreted in the 漢語大詞典 as 众人 pronounced yun2?

**Tags:** etymology
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think it's that they're "returning" home and not back into the field.  
> **username_0**: @Mou某 yes, quite! But why is this implied in 員？  
> **username_2**: 復員 --> 恢復在役人員的平民身份 = restore the civilian status of active personnel ;   Before a serviceman is mobilized, he was a civilian  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2021-08-05. Score: 1

started from the word “動員”, a translation of mobilisation

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000049169>

afterward, people (人員) would return / resume (復 —-> 恢復) their civilian roles prior to the war.

“員” means 4, 5 of this expaltionations:

> 從事某種職業的人。如：「教員」、「服務員」、「公務員」。

> 團體中的一分子。如：「黨員」、「會員」、「團員」。

<http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=W00000011819>

have fun :)


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