Taxonomy of meanings for 兄:　　

  • 兄 xiōng (OC: qhʷraŋ MC: hʷɯiaŋ) 許榮切 平 廣韻：【爾雅男子先生曰兄説文長也許榮切一 】
    • (elder)> BROTHER
      • n[post-N]one's own elder brother; the eldest brother
      • n[post-N]nonreferentialan eldest brother in general
      • n[post-N]pluralelder brothers
      • n[post-N]singulareldest brother, male of the eldest brother's status (note that 其兄 is "his elder brother" and not specifically "his eldest brother".
      • nadVreference=objectlike an eldest brother
      • nccelder brother 三兄，諸兄，庶兄
      • viactact as an elder brother should
      • n(post-N)the elder brother of the contextually determinate NCH
      • npost-N.=NprN's elder brother NprDS
      • figurative> GREAT
          • honorific> FRIEND
              • grammaticalised> YOU
                • n[post-npro_1.][post=npro_2:]adNyour, my elder brother
                • n[post-npro1.][post=npro2]BUDDH: you, the senior fellow monk; you my elder brother
      • =況 ｋｕａｎｇ４《集韻》許放切，去漾曉。陽部。

          Additional information about 兄

          說文解字: 【兄】，長也。从儿、从口。凡兄之屬皆从兄。 【許榮切】

            Criteria
          • BROTHER

            1. The standard collective term for brothers is xiōng dì 兄弟.

            2. Xiōng 兄 can refer to the eldest brother as the head of his own generation (explicitly bó xiōng 伯兄 ), but it word often refers more generally to elder brothers, including those who are not the heir in the clan.

            3. Dì 弟 refers to the younger brothers, and never specifically to the youngest.

            4. Zōng zǐ 宗子 is a specific, formal, and ritual term for the eldest brother and heir in a family, typically after the death of whom he succeeds. See HEIR.

            5. Zhòng 仲 refers to the next-eldest or second-eldest brother.

            6. Bó 伯／霸 is the technical term for the eldest brother, and this word is sometimes expanded to bó xiōng 伯兄.

            7. Jì 季 refers to the last-born brother or sister.

            8. Kūn dì 昆弟 refers to brothers in general, but there is a pervasive doubt whether it does not also include the notion of cousins. See COUSIN.

            Word relations
          • Assoc: (BROTHER)弟/BROTHER Dì 弟 refers to the younger brothers.
          • Assoc: (BROTHER)父/FATHER The completely dominant word is fù 父