TLS - 漢學文典

Taxonomy of meanings for 任:　　

任 rén (OC: njɯm MC: ȵim) 如林切平廣韻：【堪也保也當也又姓出樂安黄帝二十五子十二人各以德爲姓第一爲任氏如林切七】
- CARRY
  - vtoNbear in one's arms; be able to carry
  - vtoNfigurativecarry (as a beam "carries" a roof)
  - vt[oN]to carry one's burdensLZ
  - object
    BURDEN
    - nburden; load
    - nabfigurative(metaphorical) burden
    - nadNdesigned for heavy burdens
    - abstract object>
      RESPONSIBILITY
      
      nabsocialresponsibility
      
      vtoNbe formally responsible for
      
      vtoNN=acttake formal responsibility for (tasks, mistakes etc)CH
      
      vt(oN)take responsibility for the contextually determinate NLZ
  - capability>
    ABLE
    - nabdispositioncapability, power; capabilities, abilities; ability to perform duties
    - vtoNbe able to undertake, qualify for (a task);; be qualified for (fame);
    - vtoNpassivebe undertaken, be taken upon oneself 難任
    - vt(oN)be able to perform the contextually determinate taskDS
    - action>
      ACT
      
      vtoNimiplement as a priority; be responsible for; have the responsibilities of; serve as
      - feature> VOLUNTARY
        
        abstract, transitive> ENDURE
        
        vtoNhave the heart to live with, be able to bear ZUO Cheng 3.4 臣不任受怨，君亦不任受德。
        
        feature> UNRESTRAINED
        
        transitive> RELEASE
        
        vadVreleased > freely, unrestrained, as one pleases
        
        vtoNgive free rein to (Shangjunshu)
- =?>
  WEIGHT
  - nload, burden
- proper names>
  STATES
  - nprState of Ren
任 rèn (OC: njɯms MC: ȵim) 汝鴆切去廣韻：【已上四字並又音壬】
- RELY ON
  - vtoN.adVcoverb: according to, relying on
  - vtoNrely on
  - vtoNpassivebe relied on
  - vtoNreflexive.己rely on oneselfCH
  - social>
    ENTRUST
    - vttoN1.+N2entrust N1 to N2
    - vttoN1.+prep+N2give (somebody N1) the responsibility for (something N2)任天下於益
    - vttoN1(.+N2)entrust N1 to contextually determinate N2TW
    - generalised>
      PERMIT
  - for a purpose>
    USE
    - vtoNmake use of
    - what you act according to>
      RECTITUDE
      
      nabresponsibilities, official assignments; responsibility. See also BURDEN.fig
      
      viacttake on duties, be in charge
      
      vt+prep+Ntake responsibility for
      
      vtoNtake responsibility for, take upon oneself the responsibility for
      
      vtoNcausativecause (oneself) to carry out as a duty, cause (oneself) to undertake as a duty
      
      vtoNcausativeburdern (oneself) with a duty
      
      vttoN1.+VtoN2causativeburden (oneself) with the duty of N2 or the responsibility for N2
      - abstract: of humans> EMPLOY
        
        vadNemployed
        
        vtoNemploy; give responsibilities to
        
        vtoNpassivebe given responsibilities
        
        vt[oN]give responsibilities to; give responsibilities for something to someone, put in charge ofTWH
        
        vt(oN)give responsibilities to contextually determinate NLZ
        
        nabprocessprocess of appointnentDS
    - psychological>
      TRUST

Additional information about 任

說文解字: 【任】，符也。〔小徐本作「保也。」〕从人、壬聲。【如林切】

Criteria

ABLE

[ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

[ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

[DIFFICULT/EASY]

[ENDOGENIC/EXOGENIC]

[EMOTIONAL/UNEMOTIONAL]

[INCIDENTAL/INHERENT]

[INNATE/ACQUIRED]

[LASTING!/TEMPORARY]

[PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL]

[PRACTICAL/THEORETICAL]

1. The commonest word is néng 能 "have an inherent capacity for, have the personal ability to".

[CURRENT], [ENDOGENIC], [GRADED], [LASTING]

2. Kě yǐ 可以 "be in an objective position to, have the possibility to".

[ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [EXOGENIC], [TEMPORARY!]

3. Zú yǐ 足以 emphasises sufficiency of conditions necessary to get something done.

[CURRENT], [GRADED], [INHERENT], [PHYSICAL]

4. Kè 克 typically comes to emphasise the ability to do something difficult in post-archaic times, but the word was equivalent to néng 能 in early texts.

[ABSOLUTE], [ARCHAIC], [INCIDENTAL], [TEMPORARY], [PHYSICAL]

5. Rén 任 emphasises a general qualification to achieve something worth achieving and not obviously easy to achieve.

[ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [ENDOGENIC], [TEMPORARY]

6. Kān 堪 typically refers to the ability to do something others might not be willing or psychologically able to do.

[ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [EMOTIONAL], [ENDOGENIC], [PSYCHOLOGICAL]

7. Jì 技 "expertise, know-how" refers to the talents for crafts and the like, and the word is not normally used as a verb. See SKILL.

[ACQUIRED], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [GRADED], [LASTING], [PRACTICAL]

8. Lì 力 "strength" is sometimes used to refer to an ability to do something which in some sense requires strength.

9. Zhī 知 refers to the intellectual ability to do something, especially to do something that is not intellectually trivial.

10. Jì néng 技能 refers to a lasting acquired skill.

NB: Dé 得 "cope, show an ability to do something by actually doing it" is an achievement verb and does not belong in this group. See COPE.
CARRY

1. The commonest words refer to carrying things on one's back is fù 負, and the word is also common in figurative senses.

2. Dān 擔 refer to carrying things on a shoulder pole, but the word is still fairly rare in pre-Buddhist texts.

3. Hè 荷 is to carry over one's shoulder, sometimes on a pole.

4. Rén 任 refers to bearing something in one's arms.

5. Huái 懷 and bào 抱 can refer to carrying things in one's arms so as to protect them. See also EMBRACE

6. Dài 帶 is specifically to carry things along on one's belt, but the word is used more generally for "take along" also in ancient texts.

7. Pèi 佩 is to wear or carry very small objects on the waist. See WEAR

8. Qiè 挈 is to carry fairly small objects with one arm.

9. Gāng 扛 refers to lifting and possibly also carrying along heavy objects, typically as a feat. See primarily LIFT

NP: Káng 扛 "carry on one's shoulders" is a late colloquialism.
BURDEN

1. The standard word for a burden is rèn 任. The word is often used figuratively to refer to burdens of duty. See DUTY.

2. Hè 荷 is a rarer word for whatever is borne on one's shoulders, and this word is also occasionally used in figurative senses.

3. Zhòng 重 can come to refer to something heavy one carries.
ENDURE

1. The general word is kān 堪 which refers to the ability to sustain negative experiences as well as to undertake demanding and/or dangerous tasks, and the word is especially frequent in negated form 不堪 "cannot endure; cannot manage to".

2. Rěn 忍 refers to any callous ability to bear with something that is objectionable without interfering to stop it.

3. Zhī 支 is occasionally used in the sense of "endure" and emphasises the strength needed to live with what one bears with.

4. Rén 任 is not limited to putting up with undesirable conditions, it focusses on the the general ability to live gracefully burdens one is having to bear.

5. Néng 能 is occasionally used as an ordinary transitive verb meaning "be able to put up with (climatic conditions and the like)".
BEAUTIFUL

[ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

[ACOUSTIC/VISUAL]

[ARTIFICIAL/NATURAL]

[[COMMON/RARE]]

[ELEVATED/VULGAR]

[GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

[HUMAN/NON-HUMAN]

[POETIC/PROSAIC]

1. The general word is měi 美 "handsome and admirable" (ant. è 惡 "ugly") which refers to anything concrete or abstract which is attractive or handsome in a dignified way, and the word often retains its primary culinary sense of "tasty".

[GENERAL], [GRADED]; [[COMMON]]

2. Lì 麗 (ant. sù 素 "unaodorned") is often restricted to physical objects, prototypically to clothes, and emphasises their balanced symmetric beauty, occasionally also - by analogy - the well-aligned symmetric beauty of mountains.

[ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

3. Wén 文 (ant. zhì 質 "merely material") emphasises cultivated external as well as internal elegance as well as traditionalism.

[ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

4. Yǎ 雅 (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") emphasises primarily external elevated elegance.

[ACOUSTIC!], [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED+], [NON-HUMAN]

5. Hǎo 好 "comely, handsome" (ant. chǒu 醜 "ugly") refers indiscriminately to men and women, but the word is sometimes more general and even abstract in application and refers to attractive words or attractive moral qualities.

[HUMAN!], [NATURAL], [VISUAL]

6. Xiù 秀 "of vigorous and imposing beauty" focusses on flourishing and flamboyant beauty in analogy with that of flowers.

[ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [NON-HUMAN], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

7. Huá 華 "of striking and colourful beauty" (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") focusses on flourishing and flamboyant superficial or only apparent beauty, on the analogy analogy with that of flowers.

[ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], NON-HUMAN], [SUPERFICIAL], [VISUAL]

8. Zhuàng 壯 "stately" (ant. ruò 弱 "weak and unsightly") is virile beauty associated with strength and vigour. See STRONG

[NATURAL], [MARGINAL], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

9. Jiā 佳 "of outstanding beauty" (NB: liè 劣 "unremarkable" is the ant. of jiā 佳 "outstanding", and not in the meaning of "outstandingly beautiful") emphasises comparative beauty compared to others in the same group.

[GRADED], [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [POETIC]

10. Dū 都 "urbane and exquisitely beautiful" (ant. bì 鄙 "rustic and inelegant") is a highly poetic word that can only be used in elevated prose.

[ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

11. Yán 妍 "attractive and exquisite (of humans as well as human products)" (ant. chì 蚩 "unattractive") refers to elaborate beauty. See SEXY.

[ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [HUMAN], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

12. Xiū 脩 / 修 "refined moral beauty" refers to moral as well as physical beauty, thus coming close the Greek kalokagathia, but never approaching the latter in importance as a cultural keyword.

<div>[ELEVATED], [ARTIFICIAL]; [[RARE]]</div><div> </div><div>吳蓬，東方審美詞彙集萃，上海文藝出版社，2002 lists the following rough definitions of a variety of terms of aesthetic appreciation by the artist and scholar Wu Peng. Many of these terms express conventional appreciative flattery only. This list does provide one not particularly well-known artist's subjective readings of some basic terms of traditional Chinese aesthetic approbation.</div><div>勃：富有生机之突起。 苍：浓的，毛的，老练的。 沉：沉着不浮，有重量感。 冲：调成和淡之意向。 饬：整顿。 粗：大而不笨者。 淳：清，往往易薄，然而淳是清中滋润之厚。 醇：与淳略同，这醇是提炼后的滋润之厚。 绰：与"约"字合用，即舒而不纵之意。 澹：平静而有幽淡之趣。 淡：与浓艳相对。 宕：放荡不拘。 跌：往往与"宕"字合用，即是起伏明显之状。 端：方正而不出偏，有稳实感。 敦：很实在的，结实的厚。 繁：众而密，有生气。 方：与平正同义。 丰：饱满而充足。 风：审美中之"风"指的是一种气韵格调。 飞：大幅度的流动。 刚：属于阳性的，有正力的，与柔软相对。</div><div>高：俯视一切的、超然得不一般。 工：规矩，不潦草。 孤：自我独立。 古：旧气，更有历史的抗怀千载之迹象。 骨：内在的架子。 犷：是跟"雄悍"接近，在粗中发展开来。 瑰：不单调的美。 乖：不和顺。 憨：近于拙朴而敦实。 酣：厚润四溢。 豪：激动向上之貌，有气魄。 宏：大而有气度。 厚：有沉积的饱和。 华：明亮而艳丽。 环：长久圆融之境。 荒：与"枯简"接近，不修饰。 豁：与开朗接近，然比开朗明显。 恢：宽广有余。 浑：团然一气之象，有朦胧感。 简：经过一番整修的减少。 娇：美得可爱。 警：审美中用此警字，往往指敏锐、颖达。 </div><div>劲：能察觉的力。 精：很到位。 隽：精致而具内涵之美。 娟：秀而婉丽。 崛：高起而突出。 俊：人材杰曲之美。 峻：山高而陡。在书画中是浓而锋利之用笔。 空：有灵气之空白。 枯：干而毛，生的萎缩，然亦是力的显露。 宽：大度而畅朗。 旷：广阔而空灵。 辣：是枯毛爽直的老笔触。 朗：明亮而豁然。 琅：圆而光润。 伦：是同类之意，带有文明意念。 冷：跟"淡"与"静”接近，与浓烈相对。 炼：精到而有功力。 淋：与"漓”往往合用，是无拘束的洒落。 流：明显的动感。 迈：阔而放的超势。 莽：宽广而繁密的，朴直奔放的。 袤：与"古"字合用，即悠长久远之趣。 茂：有生气的繁密。 媚：柔美之趣。 宓：安而静。 明：清晰有亮度。 凝：浓重而不流动。 懦：毫无火气之柔软。 平：一般的，接近于稳。 朴：原始状态，形象较准。 嫖：与"姚"字合用，即动疾之状，而有气势。 奇：不一般。 气：生发的，迎面直扑而来的感觉。 清：是混的相对。其间透出一股朗气。 峭：山之直而险，在书画中是露锋的侧锋用笔，有明显露 尖状态。文章中之峭，是意气直逼。 遒：婉转有致，内力强劲。 虬：与遒类似，但动感较强，弯曲而有力度。 意：诚实谨慎。 儒：代表文人之书卷气。 洒：散落无拘束。 赡：富有与丰实。若与"疏”、"逸”组合即成"澹”或"安"之义。</div><div>骚：审美中之骚字，可引伸为风骚至风流感。 韶：美丽有光泽。 涩：在不爽快的进程中，流露出内力之美。 深：不是浮面的。 神：精与气合。高端的。 生：不成熟，但比成熟有味。 肆：任意放纵。 松：松是灵活自然，是一切技巧之本要。 瘦：与粗笨相对，在审美中的"瘦"，是指细长而精练。 疏：一种稀少秀朗之美。 肃：有立即静穆下来之势。 率：与潦草随便有别，爽快而直接。 邃：深远而悠久。 阅：通达之意。 给：与"宕"合用，是安详舒放之趣。 天:很自然，一片天箱之"天"。 恬：安静而坦然。 挺：直而有生气。 婉：柔和而曲折。 温：是一种暖调与缓和的综合。</div><div>巍：往往与"峨"合用，是高大厚实之趣。 洗：与"炼”合用，即是"精炼"之意，凡物之洁出于洗。 犀：与"利"字合用，即坚利。 熙：光明，和乐。 细：指细而不纤。 娴：文静而雅致。 闲：一种高雅的自由。 萧：疏少有致。 潇：散朗而润泽。 馨：很醇厚的香气。 篁："篁古”是悠远辽阔之意。 雄：强大，有力度，有霸气。 秀：灵巧的，有生气的，美好的显露。 虚：表象空，但并非真空。 雅：文气而不俗。 妍：鲜美而柔性。 严：认真，不马虎。 淹：一种浸沉与精深明达之境。 野：超脱、不规范。 冶：经过一番精致修饰。 逸：悠闲的起伏。</div><div>意：精神倾向。 莹：透明而幽亮。 雍：往往与“容"字合用，有和顺之貌。 幽：静而深。 腴：肥润而饱和。 郁：厚积而有生气。 纤：与"迥"字合用，即弯环回绕之趣。 遹：与"瑰"字合用，即纤迥美丽之趣。 渊：往往与"懿"合用，是深润而悠美之趣。 圆：接近于饱满润滑。 蕴：与"藉"合用，即内涵丰富。 韵：一种余味不尽之趣。 恣：放纵的，无拘束的。 滋：湿润感。 自：出于本性的流露。 质：本体的，实在的。 纵：放逸无拘之状。 拙：接近朴，形不准。 庄：端正之貌。 卓：与“荤"合用，是突出明显之状。 </div><div> </div>
RELY ON

1. The general term for relying on something with confidence is yīn 因.

2. Yī 依 refers to dependence and reliance on something which may be deliberate or non-deliberate.

3. Běn 本 refers to an abstract often almost metaphysical or logical dependence on something.

4. Dài 待 refers to logical dependence on something

5. Rén 任 typically refers to reliance on someone inferior in the context of public administration.

6. Yǎng 仰 typically refers to hopeful reliance on a superior.

7. Chéng 乘 refers to manifest deliberate reliance on some external condition for the furthering of one's own plans.

8. Jiè 藉 / 借 and jiǎ 假 refer to availing oneself of conveniently available outside things for one's own purposes.

9. Jì 寄 and tuō 託 refer to entrusting oneself to others and thus relying on them.

10. Shì 恃 and the rare hù 怙 refer to reliance on a typically hidden basic resource or factor.
EMPLOY

1. The current general word for employing someone for any purpose, but also in highly formal bureacratic contexts, is yòng 用.

2. Shǐ 使 refers to employing someone in a certain mission or for a certain task.

3. Rén 任 refers to investing someone with certain official or legal responsibilities.

4. Huàn 宦 refers to employing someone as a subordinate of any kind below the rank of a senior minister.

5. Yōng 庸 / 傭 refers to hiring someone through promising him a salary.
RECTITUDE

1. The most general word is yì 義 "rectitude" which is often used to refer to what is proper and what is one's proper duty in general and also duties in particular.

2. Rèn 任 refers to duties insofar as these impose burdens of responsibility.

3. Zé 責 refers to duties insofar as these represent demands that others do make or can make on one.

4. Zhí 職 refers specifically to official public duties that are part of one's public office.

Word relations

Ant: (RELY ON)去/DISCARD Qù 去 refers to the distancing oneself from something by rejecting it.
Ant: (ACT)釋/DISCARD Shì 釋 (ant. liú 留 "keep in employment") and the rarer jiě 解 refer to rejecting the continued use of something.
Object: (ACT)官/OFFICE The standard and very current general word for any elevated bureaucratic office, civil or military, is guān 官 (the original meaning of which refers to the building housing the office-holders office).
Epithet: (WEIGHT)重/HEAVY The dominant term is zhòng 重 (ant. qīng 輕 "light").
Assoc: (CARRY)負/CARRY The most common word to refer to carrying things on one's back is fù 負; the word is also common in figurative senses.
Assoc: (RELY ON)專/ONLY
Synon: (ENDURE)堪/ENDURE The general word is kān 堪 which refers to the ability to sustain negative experiences as well as to undertake demanding and/or dangerous tasks, and the word is especially frequent in negated form 不堪"cannot endure; cannot manage to".
Oppos: (RELY ON)勢/POWER