Taxonomy of meanings for 周:
- zhōu (OC: tjɯw MC: tɕiu) 職流切 平
廣韻：【周帀也又至也備也徧也密也又姓出汝南廬江尋陽臨川陳留沛國泰山河南等八望夲自周平王子别封汝川人謂之周家因氏焉一云赧王爲秦所滅黜爲庶人百姓稱爲周家因而氏焉魏官氏志獻帝次兄普氏後改爲周氏又漢複姓魏初徴士燉煌周生烈晉武帝中經簿云周生姓烈名職流切十
】
- CIRCLE
- nabmathematical termCHEMLA 2003: circumference of a circle. By extension the term may refer to the circumferences of an annulus/ring or circular tube or a segment of sphere. LIU HUI 1.32 故以半周乘半徑而為圓冪 "Therefore with the half of the circumference one multiplies half of the diameter and thus arrives at the area of the circle." (There are plenty of earlier examples.)JIUZHANG 1.33 今有宛田，下周三十步，徑十六步。 "Suppose there is an yuan4 (i.e. segment-of-the-sphere) "field" pattern, its lower circumference is 30 paces, and its diameter is 16 paces."JZ 1.32, Li Chunfeng's comm: 是二六相乘，除周自乘之數 "Thus the product of two and six divides the quantity of the square of the circumference."JIUZHANG 1.37 今有環田，中周九十二步，外周一百二十二步，徑五步。 "Suppose there is a "field" pattern in the shape of a ring, and its inner circumference is 92 paces, its outer circumference is 122 paces, and its diameter is five paces." (NB: The outer circumference is at the outside of the ring, and the inner circumference is at the inside of the ring.)
- vadVin circles; circulating
- vadNcircularLZ
- encircle> SURROUND
- vtoN
- defensive> SAFEGUARD
- vtoNsafeguard against attacks from all directions, guard (a granary); safeguard against all ills
- surrounding> NEAR
- vadN
- npost-N
- nplacevicinity
- action: be helpfully near to> HELP
- vtoN=賙 succour, help
- paid helpful service> WORK
- vtoNdevote oneself completely to every aspect of
- perfective: REACH
- vt+prep+Nreach everywhere
- various places> TRAVEL
- vtoNroam through, travel throughout
- in all four directions> EVERYWHERE
- vadVeverywhere, all over the place, all over the world
- vt+prep+Npermeate throughout 周於
- abstract:stay close to in one's practice> CONFORM
- vt+prep+Ncomply consistently with, conform throughout to 周乎
- vi2fit together
- declarative: will conform to what one says> PROMISE
- vtoNpromise; confirm in every way (good faith etc)
- CIRCLE
- proper name> DYNASTY
- nabfigurative.socialthe nature of the Zhou, the ways of the ZhouCH
- nprZhou DynastyDS
- proper name> STATES
- nprname of an early Chinese tribe and of a state (the two often being hard to hold apart)
- npr.adNof Zhou, belonging to ZhouDS
Additional information about 周
說文解字: 【周】，密也。从用、口。 【職畱切】 【𠄗】，古文周字从古文及。
- Criteria
- CIRCLE
1. The common general term for a circle is yuán 員 / 圓.
2. Zhōu 周 refers to an irregular circle shape; it is used for a length of perimeter of a circle.
3. Huán 環 refers to an irregular circle shape; it is used for an area surrounded by a circle.
4. Tuán 摶 is a word for a circle that was in use in a southern state of >Chǔ 楚.
5. Guī 規 occasionally refers to a standard round shape, but the word is seldom used in this sense.
- CHINA
睡虎地秦墓竹簡 1978: 226 臣邦人不安秦主而欲去夏者, 勿許. 何謂夏 ? 欲去親屬是謂夏.
The words for China have this in common that they do NOT designate any one state. 中國 "the central states" is implicitly plural when it does not refer to the capital city. 諸夏 the various Xià (states)" is explicitly plural. The standard Imperium Romanum has no counterpart in Chinese until very late, unless one admits 天下 "all under Heaven" as a designation for the empire. But 天下 does not define any bounded empire. It remains to be seen exactly when a standard term for China was took shape. Compare the problems of finding a term for the Chinese language.
Based on 顧頡剛 & 王樹民, “ 夏 ” 和 “ 中國 ”— 祖國古代的稱號, Zhongguo lishi dili luncong, Vol. 1 (Xi'an, 1981), 6-22).
In the Shu and Shi sections relating to the early Zhou, 區夏 (= 夏區 ), 有夏 and 時夏 (= 是夏 ) refers to the place in which the Zhou established their capital after their conquest of Shang, in contradistinction to Zhou 掇 homeland in the West ( 西土 ) and the close Zhou allies ( 一二邦 ). The Zhou referred to their own domain as 烠 he central city-state � ( 中國 ). Since 中國 in this usage refers to the territory directly governed by the Zhou, it is singular and used in exchange with 京師 and in contradistinction with 四方 and 四國. Other states also referred to their capital regions as 啎什縕 (thus Wu in GY 19.09.01/618); a (perhaps late) variant of this word is 啎尹塹 (Yugong).
After becoming strong, the states enfeoffed by Zhou asserted the community with the 周 by commencing to refer to themselves as 堔 L �, leading to the plural designation 埣悎 L �, used in contrast with designations like 啈 i 狄�. The distinction between the two groups was viewed as cultural, and its precise reference shifted over time, originally excluding states (like 楚 ) from the community of 諸夏 but later including them, or including them in the beginning, whilst later excluding them (like 秦 ). Some of the non- 諸夏 states were viewed as subservient to 諸夏 states, others as their enemies. The membership of 楚 to the 諸夏 circle was always insecure; it was, so to speak, was"always on probation.
The 東夏 made up a subdivision of the 諸夏, including states such a 齊 and 魯.
In parallel with the 堔 L � appellations arose the 埽寊 appellations, 埽寊 on its own and 埣捄寊, and, the two words may well be cognate, the common 埽堮 L �.
In the Warring States period the cultural distinction gave way to a geographical distinction, and the 中國 states were now the state occupying the Central Plain
- PARTIAL
1. The current general word for being partial rather than catholic in orientation of coverage is piān 偏 (ant. quán 全 "completely").
2. Bǐ 比 (ant. zhōu 周 "catholic") refers to partiality in the context of political cooperation.
3. Yǐ 倚 and the rarer jī 畸 (ant. zhōng 中 "be fair and unbiased") refers to leaning to one side physically or metaphorically.
- ALL
[ADNOMINAL/ADVERBIAL]
[ARCHAIC/CURRENT]
[COLLECTIVE/INDIVIDUAL]
[[COMMON/RARE]]
[OBJECT-BINDING/SUBJECT-BINDING]
1. Jiē 皆 the most common and general colourless subject qunatifier which is also used, occasionally as an object quantifier.
SUBJECT-BINDING!; [padV]
2.Jìn 盡 is a universal object quantifier which indicates that the action the transitive verb it precedes applies to the whole lot of the objects of that verb indiscriminately.
[OBJECT-BINDING!], [COLLECTIVE]; [vadVt]
3. Gè 各 quantifies by emphasising the separate features of each item quantified over.
[INDIVIDUAL], [SUBJECT-BINDING]; [n+Vt]
4. Jiān 兼 is an object quantifier which says that the transitive verb it precedes applies to each of the objects in its own right.
[OBJECT-BINDING], [INDIVIDUAL]; [vadVt]
5. Qún 群 is a quantifier which indicates that the whole of the flock or group of items designated by the noun it precedes are referred to
[COLLECTIVE]; [nadN]
6. Zhū 諸 is an adjectival quantifier which indicates that the whole group of the things indicated by the noun it precedes is referred to.
[COLLECTIVE]; [padN]
7. Zhòng 眾 is an adnominal quantififier which says that the whole of the group of things designated by the noun it precedes are intended.
[COLLECTIVE]; [nadN]
8. Fán 凡 characterises a topic adnominally as forming the general subject or topic in a non-narrative statement of principle. The current gloss "in general" is misleading because it wrongly suggests that there are exceptions, and because it does not specify the non-narrative "theoretical" nature of the statements introduced by the word. "In principle" is much to be preferred.
[SPECIFIC]; [vadN[TOPIC]]
9. Jù 俱 / 具 is a collective subject quantifier which says that all the subjects are equally and together characterised by what is in the predicate.
[SUBJECT-BINDING]; [vadV]
10. Fàn 氾 quantifies generally over all objects of the verb it precedes.
[COLLECTIVE], [OBJECT-BINDING]; [vadVt]
11. Fàn 汎 says that a verb has a whole range of objects, indiscriminately, and without reference to their specific character.
[COLLECTIVE], [OBJECT-BINDING]; [padVt]
12. Měi 每 mostly adnominal and emphasises that a each and every new item quantified over is separately intended.
[INDIVIDUAL]; [padN]
13. Jūn 均 / 鈞 expresses universal quantification over all subjects equally, without any difference.
[INDIVIDUAL], [SUBJECT-BINDING]; [vadN]
14. Zhōu 周 is a rare object quantifier claiming that all the objects of a verb are intended, without exception.
[COLLECTIVE], [OBJECT-BINDING]; [vadVt]
15. Xī 悉 mass object qunatifier which says that the transitive verb it precedes applies to the whole of the objects indiscriminately.
[COLLECTIVE], [OBJECT-BINDING]; [vadVt]
16. Xián 咸 is an archaic subject quantifier which came to new life in Han times.
[INDIVIDUAL], [SUBJECT-BINDING!]; [vadV]
17. Bì 畢 a subject quantifier which says that the predicate applies to all subjects.
[ADVERBIAL]; [SUBJECT-BINDING]; [RARE]
18. Jǔ 舉 is an adjectival quantifier of limited idiomatic use indicating that all the things in a certain area are referred to.
[ADNOMINAL]; [COLLECTIVE]
19. Wú bù 無不 is a neutral subject and object quantifier.
20. Mò bù 莫不 is a neutral subject quantifier.
[PREVERBAL]; [SUBJECT-BINDING]
21. Sì hǎi 四海 sometimes refers generally to all inhabitants of the inhabited world, like tiān xià 天下, and these are marginal in this group.
[NOMINAL]; [COLLECTIVE]
- DYNASTY
1. The standard term for a dynasty is dài 代, but this term is not used to refer to a person's contemporary dynasty in pre-Han times, and as far as I can see, it is rarely so used in Han times, although there is a clear example of Hàn dài 漢代 in HANSHU. Zhōu dài 周代 is not in the texts I have surveyed so far, whereas 周世 is in SHIJI.
- FACTION
1. The current general word for a faction is dǎng 黨.
2. Bǐ zhōu 比周 refers to political factions at royal courts.
3. Péng dǎng 朋黨 refers to political "gangs" and friendship associations with clear political ambitions.
4. Dǎng yǔ 黨與 refers to a group of political supporters, and the word has somewhat milder negative overtones.
- CONFORM
1. Perhaps the most general and the most current word describing conformity to a norm is shùn 順 (ant. nì 逆 "go against").
2. Yóu 由 refers to conformity construed as a matter of taking something as one's starting point or point of orientation.
3. Dào 道 refers to conformity construed as a matter of taking one's model to define the way of doing things for one.
4. Yǐ 以 refers to conformity construed as a matter of availing oneself of something as an instrument or guideline.
5. Yīn 因 refers to conformity construed as a matter of adapting to pre-existing models or rules.
6. Yuán 緣 refers to conformity construed as a matter of following something attentively in all details as a guideline.
7. Shǒu 守 refers to conformity construed as a matter of guarding a precedent or a tradition.
8. Zhōu 周 and hé 合 (all ant. fǎn 反 "go against the model") refer to complete all-round conformity construed as overall identification with a model.
9. Chèn 稱 refers to conformity construed as a matter of balancing one's actions against a standard.
10. Yìng 應 and
shì 適 refer to conformity construed as a matter of responding adequately to given facts.
12. Cóng 從 and suí 隨 refer to conformity construed as a matter of following a lead.
12. Tīng 聽 refers specifically to a superior acting in conformity with his inferior's suggestions.