Taxonomy of meanings for 佞:　　

Additional information about 佞

說文解字: 【佞】，巧讇高材也。从女、信省。 〔小徐本作「從女、仁聲。」〕 【臣鉉等曰：女子之信，近於佞也。】 【乃定切】

Criteria
• FLATTER
  

  1. The current word for active flattery is chǎn 諂 and the word refers to all kinds discourse exclusively designed to win favour but also includes ingratiating behaviour of other kinds, as notoriously in LY.

  2. Yú 諛 focusses on the use of language in "reactive" sycophancy adapting oneself to perceived desires on the part of a superior, and there seem to be no clear examples of non-linguistic sycophancy described as yú 諛.

  3. E! 阿 is vulgar one-sided pandering to the tastes or ideas of superiors in words and also in action, and the word refers also to other forms of partiality and favouritism and is thus more general in application than the other words in the group.

  4. Mèi 媚 is sycophancy also in words but particularly in attitude, dress and demeanour.

  5. Pián bì 便辟 (ant. zhēng chén 諍臣 "cantankerous or obstreporous minister") is a customary engrained form sycophancy leading to a permanent status of favour with those who are being flattered.

  6. Nìng 佞 refers to rhetorically skilful sycophancy, and very often the meanings "rhetorically skilful" and "sycophantic" are hard to distinguish in context.

• ELOQUENT
  

  1. The current general term for articulate rhetorical ability is biàn 辯 (ant. nè 訥 "be tongue-tied").

  2. Nìng 佞 typically describes rhetorical skill as an unattractive negative attribute.

  3. Gǔ jí 滑稽 is an ambiguous word referring to elequence as either articulateness and fluency, or as loquaciousness.

• FRANK
  

  1. The current standard word for directness of expression and frankness of attitude is zhí 直 (ant. nìng 佞 "be wily in one's use of language; glib-tongued" and qǔ 曲 "devious").

  2. Zhèng 正 (ant. 譎 "deceitful") refers to a directness and straightforwardness in the expression of what what one thinks is right.

  3. Qíng 情 refers to a disposition to speak honestly of what is at the bottom of one's heart.

  4. Jiǎn 謇 is a fairly rare poetic word referring to fearlessly and frankly uttering one's opinion.

  NB: Tǎn 坦 "frank" is post-Buddhist (NANBEICHAO)

• HESITATE
  

  1. The current general word for psychological hesitation happens to be bisyllabic: yóuyù 猶豫 (compare the rare but synonymous yíyóu 夷猶 ) (ant. guǒ 果 "resolute"), but the word primarily refers to the mental state which brings about hesitation in action, but the diffident behaviour is also included in the meaning of the word.

  2. Chóu chú 躊躇 refers to the physical result of an attitude of hesitation, the lingering in one place, and the indecisiveness of movement, and these forms of action are clearly construed as expressive of the psychological hesitation.

  3. Pái huái 徘徊, pánghuáng 彷徨, zhízhú 躑躅, refers primarily to the action of going back and forth, as if in doubt, but the words can occasionally be used, by extension, to refer to the doubt or hesitation itself.

  4. Yí 疑 and the much rarer chǐ huí 祗迴 refers primarily to the intellectual aspect of hesitation.

  5. Xū 需 refers to hesitation as a permanent characteristic of a person.

  6. Rèn 訒 (ant. nìng 佞 "quick-witted eloquence") refers to reticent hesitation in the articulation of what is on one's mind.

Word relations
• Assoc: (ELOQUENT)美 / 媄 / 媺/BEAUTIFUL 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]] 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (FLATTER)巧/CRAFTY Qiǎo 巧 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept") is very common and emphasises the element of skill involved. 2 Attributions
• Oppos: (ELOQUENT)賢/EXCELLENT1 Attribution