📖 Meaning
This idiom describes people or things gathering together in great numbers, as densely and orderly as clouds in the sky and fish scales on a body. It vividly conveys the image of a large-scale convergence or assembly of many elements.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Song dynasty scholar Zhou Mi's work 'Qi Dong Ye Yu' (Wild Words from East Qi), in the chapter recounting the autobiography of Jiang Yaozhang, the famed poet and musician Jiang Kui. The original phrase '薄海英才，云次鳞集' describes how talented individuals from across the land gathered together like clouds and fish scales. Zhou Mi employed this vivid imagery to depict the flourishing assembly of literary talents during that era.
💡 Example Usage
此次学术盛会，各地学者云次鳞集，共襄盛举。
At this grand academic event, scholars from all over gathered in great numbers to join in the celebration.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 云次鳞集
- Pinyin: yún cì lín jí
- Literal Translation: cloud, arrange, scale, gather
- Category: Variety
- Characters: 4