童[tong]

The Chinese character of (1) child, children, (2) unmarried, virgin, (3) etymologically, serious crime requiring celibate servitude.

童工[tong-gong]: child labour

童男/童女[tong-nan/tong-nv]: male virgin/female virgin

童養媳[tong-yang-xi]: child daughter-in-law. A pre-adolescent daughter of a poor family sold to a richer family as a servant, who would later be married to the son of the richer family, when both children reach puberty. This was quite observable in pre-1911, rural China.

童黨[tong-dang]: gangs of children and adolescents often involved in ‘anti-social’ behaviours. A quite noted topic in the news and films in Hong Kong.