Taxonomy of meanings for 劍:
- 劍 jiàn (OC: kloms MC: kiɐm) 居欠切 去 廣韻：【釋名曰劒檢也所以防檢非常也廣雅曰龍泉太阿干將鏌鋣斷蛇魚腸純鋼燕支葵偷屬陳干隊堂谿墨陽巨闕辟閭並劒名也崔豹古今注云吴太皇帝有寶劒六一曰白虹二曰紫電三曰辟邪四曰流星五曰靑冥六曰百里列子云孔周有三劒一曰含光二曰承影三曰霄陳吴王賜子胥屬鏤之劒而死周穆王有錕鋙劒切玉如泥居欠切一 】
Additional information about 劍
說文解字: 【劒】，人所帶兵也。从刃、僉聲。 【居欠切】 【劍】，籒文劍从刀。
- Criteria
- SWORD
1. Jiàn 劍 refers to the weapon with two edges which can be worn on a belt. Sword became common in China relatively late; although short bronze swords were widely used in northeastern China from Shang till early Chunqiu period, there are only few pieces known from the graves of the Western Zhou and Chunqiu aristocracy. In the middle and late Chunqiu period bronze swords came to be wider used particularly in the southern states of Wu, Yue, and Chu; the earliest textual evidence I have found for the word also dates from this period (MOZI and inscriptions on the swords of Wu and Yue). In Warring States times sword became usual weapon. Iron swords for the first time appeared in the late Chunqiu period and by the early Han completely replaced bronze pieces. Note that in Han times both aristocrats and officials worn swords like symbols of their status.
2. Rèn 刃 refers to the blade and generally to the weapons with a blade including sword.
- KNIGHT
1. The current standard word for a knight is xiá 俠.
2. Jiàn 劍, when used to refer to a sword-bearing knight, focusses on his formidable weapon.
3. Yóu xiá 游俠 refers to a strong, brave, and honest knight-errant.
4. Since many knights-errant were from the states of >Zhào and Yàn, these were later called Zhào kè 趙客.
5. As many knight-errants were strong, they were polite designation was háo kè 豪客.
6. As knight-errants were respected for helping the poor they were politely referred to as zhǎng zhě 長者. DATE?
- Word relations
- Object: (SWORD)帶/CARRY
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. - Epithet: (SWORD)利/SHARP
The most general current word for sharpness both of a point and of a blade is lì 利. - Epithet: (SWORD)私/PRIVATE
The dominant current word for privacy is sī 私 (ant. gōng 公 "public"), and the word designates everything that falls outside the responsibility of public administration. Contrast SELFISH. - Assoc: (SWORD)戟/LANCE
- Assoc: (SWORD)戈/LANCE
- Assoc: (SWORD)弓/BOW
The current general word for the bow is gōng 弓, and it must be remembered that in early times the bow was used not only to shoot arrows but also mud pellets and the like.