Taxonomy of meanings for 宴:　　

  • 宴 yàn (OC: qeens MC: ʔen) 於甸切 去 廣韻：【安也息也於甸切十三 】
    • BRIGHT
      • vi(of weather, or of the sky) be clear and bright. Also written 曣.
    • FEAST
      • vtoN＝宴 SHI 35: hold a private feast for(for one's new wife); SHI 217; for friendship
      • viact＝宴 lay on a private feast
      • nab＝宴 LY 16.5 feasting; CC, shangshi: festive joy; feast
      • vadN＝宴 festive, delivered on the occasion of public entertainments
      • vt[oN]causative＝宴 lay on a feast (less formal than the 享）
      • nab.adV＝宴 on the occasion of an (evening) feastCH
    • LEISURE
      • vadV＝宴 on leisurely occasions; at leisure
      • viact＝宴 have a good time; be quietlly at one's ease
  • 宴 yǎn (OC: qeenʔ MC: ʔen) 於殄切 上 廣韻：【安也又烏見切 】

    Additional information about 宴

    說文解字: 【宴】，安也。从宀、妟聲。 【於甸切】

      Criteria
    • BRIGHT

      1. The general term for what appears luminous or bright in the broadest sense of these terms is míng 明 (ant. àn 暗 "dark" and yǐn 隱 "dark"), a word heavily laden with religious overtones.

      2. Liàng 亮 "bright" (ant. yōu 幽 "dark and shady"), càn 燦 and làn 爛 are primarily optical and rather prosaic terms to use.

      3. Zhāo 昭 "resplendent" (ant. míng 冥 "dark"), gěng 耿 "brilliant", hào 皓 "shining bright", yè 燁, and hè 赫 "luminous" is a highly charged ritually high-flown word that belongs to court language, often with metaphorical force.

      4. Yáng 陽 "bright" (ant. yīn 陰 "dark") is simply the opposite of dark and does not connote any high degree of luminosity.

      5. Lǎng 朗 is an elevated word used to refer to things resplendent and bright.

      6. Hào 顥 and qíng 晴 "bright" refers to the brightness of the sky.

      7. Yàn 宴／曣 refers specifically to the brightness of the sky.

      8. Guāng 光 refers generally to light or even resplendence. See LIGHT

      For causative uses see ILLUMINATE.

      For figurative uses see ILLUSTRIOUS

    • LEISURE

      1. The current general term for the period of time not occupied by working is xián 閒 (ant. QIMIN YAOSHU 忙 "busy").

      2. Xiá 暇 refers specifically to the time of leisure between working spells.

      3. Jià 假 refers to an extended period free from official obligations, a holiday, and the word is marginal in this group.

      4. Yóu 游 / 遊 refers to the leisure-activities during one's free time.

      5. Kòng 空 refers abstractly to unoccupied time as such.

      6. Xián 嫻 / 閑 refers specifically to the kind of free and easy attitude one has during one's free time, but also to the work-free nature of something, and the word is often used as an adjective.

      7. Yàn 燕 and yàn 宴 refers to leisure time with a special focus on this time as an occasion for pleasure and enjoyment, often including food and music.

    • FEAST

      1. The current general term for a feast is yàn 宴 / 燕.

      2. Jiǔ 酒 and yǐn 飲 both refer to a drinking party where alcohol is served.

      3. Xiǎng 餉 / 饗 / 饟 refers to an elaborate festive repast.

      NB: Yán 筵 and xí 席 are post-Han words for a feast.