Taxonomy of meanings for 小:　　

Additional information about 小

說文解字: 【小】物之微也】，。从八、丨，見而分之。凡小之屬皆从小。 【私兆切】

Criteria
• DESPISE
  

  1. The most widely used general word for contempt is qīng 輕 (ant. zhòng 重 "rate as important"), and the word typically describes an attitude based on a critical judgment. See also UNIMPORTANT

  2. Yì 易 (ant. zhòng 重 "treat as important") focusses on the subjective failure to take someone or something seriously and does not necessarily involve a critical judgment.

  3. Bēi 卑 (ant. zūn 尊 "venerate as distinguished") refers to regarding a person as characterised by his or her low social standing.

  4. Jiàn 賤 (guì 貴 "hold in high esteem" and jìng 敬 "respect") are to regard someone as vulgar, and typically as of slight moral worth.

  5. Hòu 後 (ant. xiān 先 "put first") is to fail to show proper respect for someone.

  6. Xiǎo 小 and shǎo 少 (ant. duō 多 "rate highly") expresses a negative judgment on the significance of a person or thing.

  7. Ào 傲 adds the nuance of arrogance to the notion of contempt.

  8. Miè 蔑 "to regard someone with no respect" describes a purely psychological attitude.

  9.Mà4n 慢 refers to a demonstrative failure to show proper respect for someone.

  10. Dú 瀆 refers to a disrespectful attitude or disregard for someone or something.

• UNIMPORTANT
  

  1. The current general term for unimportance is qīng 輕 (ant. zhòng 重 "important").

  2. Mò 末 (ant. běn 本 "basic and important")) refers to something being marginal as opposed to other things that are central or crucial.

  3. Xì 細 (ant. jù 巨 "of tremendous importance") and wēi 微 (ant. dà 大 "of great importance") refer to things being trifling and without serious impact on a situation.

  4. Huǎn 緩 (ant. jí 急 "urgent and important") refers to something being less important because it is less urgent.

  5. Xiǎo 小 (ant. dà 大 "of great importance") is sometimes used as a colourless term denying the importance of something.

• SMALL
  

  1. The dominant quite general word is xiǎo 小 (ant. dà 大 "big"), and this word refers to both physical size and abstract importance.

  2. Miǎo 眇 / 渺 and mǐ 靡 (ant. páng 龐 "big") refers to extremely small size of something.

  3. Xì 細 (ant. jù 巨 "enormous") is sometimes used to refer to something being small or of slight importance. See TENUOUS

  NB: ǎi 矮 "not tall, of slight height, of low build" is post-Buddhist late colloquial.

• BIG
  

  [[COMMON/RARE]]

  [ELEVATED/FAMILIAR]

  [+FIG/LITERAL]

  [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

  [HIGH-DEGREE/LOW-DEGREE]

  [HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL]

  1. The general word is dà 大 (ant. xiǎo 小 "small").

  [GENERAL]; [[COMMON]]

  2. Jù 巨 "huge" (ant. xì 細 "slight") indicates a higher degree of size.

  [HIGH-DEGREE+], [LITERAL], [VERTICAL]

  3. Kuí 魁 and páng 龐 (ant. wēi 微 "small and slight"), both rare, add to the notion of vertical size that of impressiveness.

  [+FIG], [HIGH-DEGREE], [VERTICAL]; [[RARE]]

  4. Hóng 洪 refers to the size of water masses, and the word is often used in metaphorical senses.

  [ELEVATED], [+FIG], [HORIZONTAL]

  5. Hào 昊 refers to the vastness of the sky, as a poetic elevated epithet (sometimes perhaps confused by scribes with 旻 ).

  [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [+FIG], [HORIZONTAL]

  6. Jù 巨 "huge" (ant. xì 細 "slight") indicates a very high degree of size.

• GOOD
  

  1. The general term for positive appraisal of human capacities of any kind is shàn 善 (ant. è 惡 "bad").

  2. Rén 仁 (ant. cán 殘 "unfeeling") refers to kind-heartedness as an attitude directed towards moral behaviour. See BENEVOLENCE

  3. Lián 廉 (ant. tān 貪 "greedy for bribery gifts") refers to moral probity and impeccability.

  4. Zhí 直 (ant. qǔ 曲 "devious") refers to moral straightforwardness and uprightness.

  5. Zhōng 衷 (ant. xié 邪 "wicked") refers to devoted uprightness of character. See also EARNEST

  6. Qīng 清 (ant. zhuó 濁 "defiled and corrupt") can be used to refer to moral purity.

  7. Shú 淑 is a highly poetic word referring to admirable moral qualities in general, typically in women.

  8. Jūn zǐ 君子 (ant. xiǎo rén 小人 "petty man") refers to high moral qualities and capacities, especially in men.

  <div>9. Zāng 臧 (pí 否 "good-for-nothing") is an archaic neutral unemotional objective term for goodness.</div><div><br></div><div>10. Rén yì 仁義, when it is not simply listing benevolence and righteousness, commonly refers quite generally (by synecdoche) to moral goodness or the moral virtues LIKE benevolence and righteousness and not in fact to just two of the virtues.<br></div><br>

• MONEY
  

  1. Probably the most current term for money is qián 錢, but the word became current only in Han times. The word originally referred to the agricultural implement similar to or identical with bù 布 (see below). In the Warring States period, the term was together with bù 布 used for spade-like coins. Later, it began to refer to round money casted by the Qin dynasty, and in Han times it became a current general word for money.

  2. Bì 幣 referred originally to the silk which could be used for sacrifice or as a gift. In the Warring States period, the term refer to precious things (jades, horses) often used as a gift. In Han times, the word was used like a general term for money.

  3. Dāo bù 刀布 could be used like a general term for money in the Warring States period.

  4. Bù 布 refers to the bronze coins cast in the shape of bù 布 (spade-like implement in ancient China). The earliest exemplars (of remarkably large size and with hollow handle) are known from the states of Jin and Zhou and dates from the end of the sixth century B.C.. During the following Warring States period, this type of coin (usually with a flat handle) was in use particularly in the states of Wei, Han and Zhao, but also in Chu. The coins were usually inscribed with the name of a state or city where they were cast. After Qin unification, bù 布 came out of use, but they were revived for a short time during the reign of the Wang Mang's Xin dynasty.

  5. Dāo 刀 refers to the bronze knife-like coins. They came into use slightly later than bù 布 coins, and were cast particularly in the eastern states of Yan, Qi, but also Zhao. Some exemplars survived till the early Han dynasty; later, shape-like coins were revived for two years (7 - 9 A.D.) by Wang Mang. These knife-like coins from the end of the Western Han dynasty were called cuò dāo 錯刀.

  6. Bèi 貝 originally referred to the cauri shells which were in Shang and Western Zhou times used like primitive money or like a gift. For this purpose, they were joined to péng 朋, consisting of two strings of shells, five pieces each. In the Warring States period, the word also referred to the bronze coins in the shape of cauri which were in use in the state of Chu.

  7. Huán 圜 refers to the round coin with a square hole in a centre which was cast by the states of Qin and Zhou. After Qin unification, it became general currency for a whole empire.

  8. Yuán 爰 refers to the rectangular pieces of gold which were used like money in the state of Chu. It is the earliest golden currency in China.

  9. Bàn liǎng 半兩 refers to the round coin with a central square hole which was for the first time cast by the state of Qin in the late Warring States period and which was then in use till the second half of the second century B.C.. The coin should weight half of liǎng 兩 (i.e. 12 zhū 銖 ), and this weight was recorded in an inscription on the coin; hence the name. In fact, coins of this type known from Qin and early Han times are of very various height; in early Han times, most current were coins weighting four zhu 銖.

  10. Wǔ zhū 五銖 refers to a round coin with a square hole weighting five zhū 銖 which was for the first time cast under Emperor Wudi in 118 B.C. and was then in use during the whole Han dynasty (with a short break about the time of Wang Mang's reign).

  11. Mǎ tí 馬蹄, lù tí 鹿蹄, huán tí 圜蹄, and lín zhǐ 麟趾 are various terms referring to the pieces of gold formed into the shape of horse's, deer's, or qí lín's 麒麟 hoof. This kind of currency was in use under the Han dynasty.

  12. Dà quán 大泉, xiǎo quán 小泉, zhuāng quán 壯泉, xuán quán 玄泉 are all round coins of various size dating from Wang Mang's reign.

  13. Pí bì 皮幣 refers to the money made of deer skin which were in use in the reign of Emperor Wudi (141 - 87 B.C.).

• STUDENT
  

  1. The current general word for a disciple of any kind, or a follower of a school or any line of thought, is tú 徒.

  2. Mén rén 門人 stresses the physical abode near a master.

  3. Dì zǐ 弟子 refers rather intimately to disciples of a master as the object of his affection.

  4. Shǔ 屬 is a cold general word referring to someone who belongs to a certain group and under a certain leadership.

  5. Cóng zhě 從者 like the English "followers" primarily focusses on the idea of following a master wherever he goes, but this nuance is weakened with time so that the term comes to mean quite abstractly "follower".

  6. Xiǎo zǐ 小子 is an affectionate term only used in the vocative.

• PEOPLE
  

  1. The dominant current general word for the people is mín 民 (ant. jūn 君 "ruler"), and this term refers inclusively to all the people particularly insofar as they are ruled by a ruler or belong to a state (xiǎo mín 小民 are the ordinary people). [ 夫民之為言也暝也，萌之為言也（肓）〔盲〕也，故惟上之所扶而以之，民無不化也。故曰：「民萌。」民萌哉！ ( 直言其意而為之名也 ) Xinshu 9

  2. Bǎi xìng 百姓 (ant. jūn zhǔ 君主 "ruler") typically refers to the registered senior families in a state who are under the control of the ruler and contribute taxes as well as military service to him; but from earliest times this term was occasionally used to refer generally to the populace at large.

  3. Rén 人 (ant. wáng 王 "king") is sometimes used generically for those people who were taken to have a political voice, as in Yīn rén 殷人 "the people of Yīn".

  4. Méng 氓 / 萌 (ant.* shì mín 士民 "citizens") refers specifically to the common people belonging to the lower echelons of society.

  5. Zhòng 眾, shù 庶 and the rarer and more rarified words 蒸 and lí 黎 refer to the masses of the people under the aspect of their numerousness.

  6. Qián shǒu 黔首 "black-headed people" is the current word for the people especially promoted by the Qin dynasty.

  7. Shì mín 士民 refers to senior registered citizens with a certain political influence; but the term can also be used collectively to refer to the freemen/gentleman shì 士 on the one hand, and the common people mín 民 on the other.

  8. Guó rén 國人 refers not to the people in a state, but specifically to the senior citizens in the capital.

  9. Mín rén 民人 is a very current way of referring to the people without suggesting any low or high status.

  10. Shù rén 庶人 is the technical term for the non-office-holding commoners in a country.

• OFFICER
  

  1. Jūn zǐ 君子 (xiǎo rén 小人 "soldier of lower rank") refers generically to the higher grades in the army.

  2. Kuí 魁 is a powerful personality who happens, on account of his power, to obtain military command over an army.

  3. Sīmǎ 司馬 refers to a very senior military official in the bureaucracy of the capital of a state.

  4. tài wèi 太尉 corresponds roughly to the Minister of Defense in the Qin and Han bureaucracy.

  5. Dū weì 都尉 is a senior military official in the Han bureaucracy.

  NB: For official military titles see XXX.

• HUMBLE
  

  1. The current general word for objective low social status without any connotation concerning moral worth is bēi 卑 (ant. zūn 尊 "objectively venerable by social standards").

  2. Jiàn 賤 (ant. 貴 "objectively of high standard, but also personally and subjectively judged to deserve this high status") typically adds to the notion of objectively judged low status that of subjectively appreciated moral decrepitude.

  3. Xiǎo 小 and shào 少 (all ant. zhǎng 長 "senior") refers to relatively junior status in the bureaucratic hierarchy.

  4. Xià 下 refers to low status in absolute terms.

  5. Wēi 微 refers to a person being of low status so as to be of no substantial political or social importance. See UNIMPORTANT

  NB: One's rank wèi 位 may be said to be zūn 尊 "elevated" or bēi 卑 "lowly", but one's status as such could never be jiàn 賤.

• SIZE
  

  1. The abstract notion of size is standardly expressed by dà xiǎo 大小.

  2. Cháng duǎn 長短 refers to relative length.

• CHILD
  

  1. The commonest word for a child is zǐ 子 "son; child (male or female); rarely: baby".

  2. Ér 兒 refers to children of fairly young age.

  3. Tóng 童 refers to a person as a young child without focusing on whose child it is and the word is often used in compounds.

  4. Gōng zǐ 公子 refers specifically to a prince or son by a royal father and his main wife. See PRINCE.

  5. Chì zǐ 赤子 refers to a fairly small or new-born child.

  6. Ruò zǐ 弱子 and 童子 refer to a very young child.

  7. Xiǎo zǐ 小子 is often used for small children but can also refer to people lower in hierachy as for example the disciples of a master (often when the master is addressing them); in addition it is sometimes used by the ruler (when mourning for his parents) and by high officers as humble first person pronoun.

  8. Rǔ zǐ 孺子 can refer to very young children, but the word can also refer more generally to youths, especially girls.

• COMMONER
  

  1. Pǐ fū 匹夫 (ant. jūn zǐ 君子 "gentleman; freeman") and the rarer xì rén 細人 is a purely sociological term referring to a person without public office.

  2. Xiǎo rén 小人 (ant. jūn zǐ 君子 ) is a term of moral or personal appraisal and refers to a person of minor worth or of no moral merit.

• GREAT
  

  1. The most general word for awe-inspiring greatness and significance is wěi 偉 (ant. 眇 / 渺 "trifling").

  2. Dà 大 (ant. xiǎo 小 "insignificant") is often used to refer to generally recognised awe-inspiring status (for example of a king etc) rather than mere size.

  3. Hóng 弘 and jù 巨 (ant. xì 細 ) are stylistically marked strong words to use for the greatness of something. See IMPORTANT

  4. Hóng 鴻 refers to greatness as essentially linked to immense size.

  5 Kǒng 孔 is an archaic word referring to immensity, numerousness as well as remarkable intensity of something.

• SOLDIER
  

  1. There is no current general word for a soldier of any rank, and the collective term for soldiers is jūn 軍 "army". See ARMY

  2. Zú 卒 and the archaic tú 徒 refer to an ordinary infantry soldier, and these footsoldiers never ride chariots.

  3. Jiǎ 甲 refers to armoured soldiers riding in carriages.

  4. Jì 騎 refers to cavalry (Han dynasty).

  5. Nǔ 弩 refers to crossbowmen.

  6. Yì 役 refers to a conscript soldier.

  7. Xiǎo rén 小人 (jūn zǐ 君子 "soldier of a higher grade") refers generically to the lower grades in the army.

  8. Shì 士 refers to officers riding chariots in battle.

  NB: Bīng 兵 "soldier" may turn out to be post-Han. I have not yet found a clear example where the word refers to a soldier.

Word relations
• Ant: (SMALL)大/BIG The general word is dà 大 (ant. xiǎo 小 "small"). 13 Attributions
• Epithet: (HUMBLE)民/PEOPLE The dominant current general word for the people is mín 民 (ant. jūn 君 "ruler"), and this term refers to the people particularly insofar as they are ruled by a ruler or belong to a state. 1 Attribution
• Epithet: (SMALL)鮮/FISH Xiān 鮮 is another general term for a fish. 1 Attribution
• Epithet: (SMALL)人/PERSON1 Attribution
• Contrast: (SMALL)短/SHORT The current general term for shortness is duǎn 短 (ant. cháng 長 "long").
• Assoc: (SMALL)褊/NARROW1 Attribution