Taxonomy of meanings for 告:　　

  • gào (OC: kuuɡs MC: kɑu) 古到切 去 廣韻：【報也説文作告又音捁 】
  • ADDRESS
    • vt+prep+N.adVtoSpass on a message to (somebody), (saying:
    • vtoN.+VtoSaddressing (someone)(say) 告眾曰
    • vttoN.+SS=direct.speechaddress someone with the words S
    • vtt(oN1.+prep+N2)N2=humantell the fact N1 to the person N2CH
    • formal> REPORT
      • v[adN]nonreferentialthose who report> denunciators
      • vt(oN.)+Vtell a contextually determinate person: 告曰
      • vt[oN]give information
      • vt+prep+N.adVtoSreport (to someone) (and say) 告於...曰 (NB: the subject of 告 is the same as that of 曰)
      • vtoN.+VtoStell (someone) (and say...) 告之曰 (directed at superiors or inferiors)
      • vtoNannounce; tell about (something); report on (something); pass on (information); announce (primarily to superiors, but occasionally also to respected inferiors or indeed to anyone at all), declare
      • vtt(oN1.)(+N2)pass on the determinate information to the determinate audience
      • vtt(oN1.)+N2ominform a (an audience N1) about something determinate N2, report about something determinate to (someone N1); send word to (someone N1)
      • vtt(oN1.)+prep+N2omreport about a determinate matter N1 to (someone N2)
      • vtt(oN1.)postvt(oN2{OBJ})tell a contextually determinate person about a contextually determinate matter 以告
      • vttoN:+.vt+Nab{S}indirect-speechreport to N that S
      • vttoN.-vtoNab{S}report (to somebody) about a fact
      • vttoN1:postvtoN2tell (someone N1) about (something N2) 以x告y
      • vttoN1.+N2tell addressee N1 about the subject N2 告之悔 "told him about his regrets"
      • vttoN1.+prep+N2report (a message N1) to (an audience N2)
      • vttoN1.+prep+N2N1=audiencereport (a message N2) to (an audience N1)告諸往而知來者
      • vttoN1.post-vt(oN2)inform (somebody N1) about a contextually determinate matter N2 以告x
      • vttoN1+.vtoN2report (to an audience N1) (about something N2)
      • viactOBI: make a formal report to the ancestors
      • vttoN.+Stell N that S
      • nabtextreport
      • vtt(oN1.) N2N2=humaninform N2 about the contextually determinate matter N1DS
      • vtt[oN1.]+N2N2=humaninform N2 about the lexically determinate matter N1; tell N2 about thingsLZ
      • vtt(oN1.)+N2:+vtoSinform N2 about the contextually determinate N1, saying: SDS
      • generalised> SPEAK
        • vt+V[0]say that one Vs
        • in response> ANSWER
          • vtoN.-Vt{以} Nanswer in terms ofCH
        • critically> COMPLAIN
          • nhumansomebody who receives complaints of the people
          • vtoNcomplain against; make a complaint against someone to a superior SHIJI
          • injunctive> ENCOURAGE
              • imperative> COMMAND
                • vttoN.+V[0]pivotcommand that S
                • vtt(oN.) V(0)command the contextually determinate N to VCH
                • authoritative> DECREE
                  • nabactarchaic: imperial public announcement
            • legal> ACCUSE
              • vtoNlodge a formal complaint against> accuse
      • interrogative> ASK
        • vtoN.+VtoSaddress (someone) (saying/asking: "....?")
        • permission> REQUEST
          • vtoNmake a plea to, make an appeal to (??)
    • gù (OC: kuuɡs MC: kuok) 古沃切 入 廣韻：【又音誥告上曰告發下曰誥 】

      Additional information about 告

      說文解字: 【告】，牛觸人，角箸橫木，所以告人也。从口、从牛。《易》 曰：僮牛之告。凡告之屬皆从告。 【古奧切】

        Criteria
      • REPORT

        1. The current word for any report or the passing on of any information is gào 告. But see also ADDRESS.

        2. Yù 語 is a common word referring to informal oral notification or instruction.

        3. Bào 報 and the rarer fù 復 refer to an oral report to the authorities as required by these authorities.

        4. Yè 謁 refers to the transmitting of a message, typically by the ancient Chinese equivalent of a butler.

        5. Wén 聞 refers to making something known to a superior or to the public at large.

        6. Fěng 諷 refers to an informal (often subtly disguised) personal opinion passed on to superiors.

        7. Bái 白 refers to a personal report, often urgent, and typically by an inferior to a superior, and when used among equals it is a polite form of self-deprecation.

      • ACCUSE

        [ASCENDING/DESCENDING]

        [BENEVOLENT/MALEVOLENT]

        [FALSE/TRUE]

        [INFORMAL/OFFICIAL]

        [INTENSE/WEAK]

        [PUBLIC/PRIVATE]

        1. The most current general word for accusing someone of something with either good or evil intent is zé 責.

        [GENERAL], [NEUTRAL]

        2. Sù 訴 refers to an informal accusation from the party that maintains it has suffered injustice, and this word became current in Han times.

        [INFORMAL], [MALEVOLENT]

        3. Zuì 罪 typically refers to a superior or king raising criminal charges against someone under his jurisdiction, but occasionally the word is used in an extended way to refer to strong criticism offered by anyone with authority.

        [DESCENDING], [NEUTRAL], [OFFICIAL]

        4. Hé 劾 refers to formal impeachment and the starting of formal criminal proceedings against a culprit, and the accuser in this case tends to be a person of some social standing, normally of high bureaucratic status; in Han times hé 劾 refers to the passing judgment after such a formal procedure.

        [DESCENDING], [INTENSE], [NEUTRAL], [OFFICIAL]

        5. Qiǎn 譴 refers to formal more or less serious accusations against officials raised by anyone, including ordinary persons.

        [ASCENDING], [INTENSE], [OFFICIAL]

        6. Wū 誣 is occasionally used for making false formal accusations against some person, and the word may even refer to false self-incrimination.

        [FALSE], [INFORMAL], [MALEVOLENT]

        7. Zèn 譖 refers generally to slanderous attacks, and sometimes - imperceptibly - the word can refer to something more like slanderous accusations. But the distinctions always seems to remain unclear. See SLANDER.

        [FALSE], [INFORMAL], [MALEVOLENT]

        8. Kòng 控 occasionally refers to a formal complaint directed against the authorities.

        [ASCENDING], [OFFICIAL]

        9. Ga4o 告 commonly refers to the making of public complaints and accusations.

      • COMPLAIN

        1. The current general word for complaint is sù 訴.

        2. Gào 告 refers to an inferior complaining to a superior.

        NB: Yuān 冤 refers to an injustice suffered, but not to a complaint about it.

      • ADDRESS

        [ASCENDING/HORIZONTAL/DESCENDING]

        [FORMAL/INFORMAL]

        [IMPORTANT/INSIGNIFICANT]

        [PRESCRIBED/SPONTANEOUS]

        [PRIVATE/PUBLIC]

        1. Duì 對 "respond" (opp. wèn 問 "ask") refers to responses to superiors (See REPLY) whereas wèi 謂 often addresses inferiors. Yán 言 is neutral in this respect.

        [ASCENDING], [FORMAL], [PRESCRIBED]

        2. Wèi 謂 is a common word referrring to any form of addressing (often of inferiors) for which the subject has taken an independent initiative.

        [DESCENDING!], [SPONTANEOUS]

        3. Yán 言 (ant. mò 默 "fail to speak up, remain silent") typically involves addressing someone with a formal (often public and political) suggestion, taking the initiative to speak up.

        [FORMAL], [PUBLIC!], [SPONTANEOUS]

        4. Gào 告 is typically to address an individual or a group in a formal way or in an important matter, and the content of the address is most often information, but there are also often questions or suggestions involved, when these questions and suggestions are passed on as a message from someone else than the speaker himself.

        [FORMAL], [IMPORTANT], [SPONTANEOUS]

      • PUBLICISE

        [ASCENDING/HORIZONTAL/DESCENDING]

        [ELEVATED/VULGAR]

        [FORMAL/INFORMAL]

        [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

        1. Xuān 宣 (ant.* mì 秘 "keep secret") is an announcement to a general public; and the word often refers specifically to royal or imperial promulgation.

        [DESCENDING], [GENERAL]

        2. Xùn 徇 is a proclamation which may be directed at certain sections of society or to a certain public audience.

        [DESCENDING]

        3. Shì 誓 "proclaim" refers to a proclamation which may be directed at certain sections of society only or to a currently present public. especially a military public.

        [DESCENDING], [ELEVATED], [FORMAL]

        4. Fù 訃 is primarily a ritual act (typically of announcing a death) directed at a specified relevant group. See MOURN

        [HORIZONTAL], [RITUAL], [SPECIALISED]

        5. Zhào 詔 is an authoritative general public instruction normally from a king or ruler.

        [DESCENDING], [ELEVATED], [FORMAL], [SPECIALISED]

        6. Gào 誥 / 告 "proclamation" is an oral and ritual political act by the ruler directed at the general public. (But at later stages of the language gào 告 is to superiors and gào 誥 is to inferiors.)

        [ELEVATED], [FORMAL]

        7. Bù 布 refers to the publication and announcement of something, typically of laws and regulations, primarily to officials.

        [DESCENDING], [INFORMAL], [SPECIALISED]

        Word relations
      • Result: (REPORT)知/KNOW The general word for knowing something to be the case in any way or on any basis is zhī 知, but the word is more common in the meaning discussed under UNDERSTAND.
      • Contrast: (REPORT)教/TEACH The current general word for training, instructing, and disciplining others is jiào 教 (ant. xué 學 "study") and the standard main aim of jiào 教 is unquestioning obedience, professional skill, and intellectual conformity to the standard set by the teacher, and the word connotes use of authority and sometimes even coercion. The primary aim of jiào 教 is action conforming to a standard, and the word is commonly nominalised.
      • Assoc: (REPORT)教/TEACH The current general word for training, instructing, and disciplining others is jiào 教 (ant. xué 學 "study") and the standard main aim of jiào 教 is unquestioning obedience, professional skill, and intellectual conformity to the standard set by the teacher, and the word connotes use of authority and sometimes even coercion. The primary aim of jiào 教 is action conforming to a standard, and the word is commonly nominalised.
      • Assoc: (REPORT)報/REPORT Bào 報 and the rarer fù 復 refer to an oral report to the authorities as required by these authorities.
      • Assoc: (COMPLAIN)訴 / 愬/ACCUSE Sù 訴 refers to an informal accusation from the party that maintains it has suffered injustice. [INFORMAL], [MALEVOLENT]
      • Assoc: (COMPLAIN)控/ACCUSE Kòng 控 occasionally refers to a formal complaint directed against the authorities. [ASCENDING], [OFFICIAL]
      • Assoc: (REPORT)誓/PUBLICISE Shì 誓 "proclaim" refers to a proclamation which may be directed at certain sections of society only or to a currently present public. especially a military public. [DESCENDING], [ELEVATED], [FORMAL]
      • Assoc: (COMPLAIN)譴 / 遣/ACCUSE Qiǎn 譴 refers to formal more or less serious accusations against officials raised by anyone, including ordinary persons. [ASCENDING], [INTENSE], [OFFICIAL]
      • Oppos: (REPORT)問/ASK The general word is wèn 問 "open a dialogue by consulting someone with a question" (ant. duì 對 "reply to a superior") which typically refers to the consultation of a person who is supposed to know something, and typically the person to whom a question is addressed is regarded in the context as an authority though not necessarily a person of superior status. Thus the word, while extremely common, is not really a general word for "to ask". [SPECIFIC]; [[COMMOM+]]