Taxonomy of meanings for 客:　　

  • kè (OC: khraaɡ MC: kʰɯak) 苦格切 入 廣韻：【賔客苦格切四 】
    • GUEST
      • nguest; guest of honour, principal guest; specifically: invited permanent outside member of the entourage, retainer
      • viactact like a guest
      • vtoNattitudinaltreat like a proper
      • nguestCH
      • npost-Nretainer of NCH
      • specific: in dialogue> OPPONENT
        • nopponent in a discussion
      • welcome> FRIEND
        • nSHIJI: informal: friend
        • specific> RETAINER
          • nretainer
          • nadVas retainer; in a way typical for retainersDS
          • nindefinitea retainer; one of the retainersDS
          • abstract> FOREIGNER
            • nstranger; person from a foreign country, foreigner, foreign resident; immigrant; person from a different place;
            • nadVas a foreigner
            • npost=Nprforeigner
            • n{PRED}be foreignerDS
            • action> TRAVEL
              • nagenttraveller
              • action: stay on one's way> DWELL
                • vtoNSHIJI: dwell as guest in the place N, stay as guest with N
    • action towards, transitive> WELCOME
      • vtoNwelcome as a guest, act as host to
      • psychological> RESPECT
        • vtoNattitudinaltreat politely as a guest
    • grammaticalised> YOU
      • n[post=npro2]you, our guest; your, foreigner
      • grammaticalised: a certain person> PRONOUN
        • npronominala certain person; someone; a quidam

    Additional information about 客

    說文解字: 【客】，寄也。从宀、各聲。 〔小徐本「各」上有「從」。〕 【苦格切】

      Criteria
    • HOTEL

      1. The current literary word for a hotel is nì lu# 逆旅.

      2. Kè shè 客舍 is a colloquial word for a hotel open to the general public.

      NB the very popular 王仁興，中國旅館史話， 1984

    • FOREIGNER

      1. The current word for a foreigner is kè 客.

      2. Lu# 旅 refers to a newcomer or termporary inhabitant of place, and the word is somewhat marginal in the group.

      3. Wài rén 外人 is a neutral colourless term for an outsider in a place.

    • GUEST

      1. The current general neutral word for a guest is kè 客 (ant. zhǔ 主 "host"), but this word is also used to refer to strangers.

      2. Bīn 賓 (ant. zhǔ 主 "host") is an honorific term for an honoured guest.

    • 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?