Additional information about 屢
說文解字: 【屢】，數也。 【案今之婁字，本是屢空字，此字後人所加。未詳。】 【丘羽切】
- Criteria
- OFTEN
1. The current general word for high frequency of an event within a certain period of time is shuò 數 " several times in a row" (xī 希 "rarely").
2. Lu# 屢 "quite a few times" (ant. hǎn 罕 "very seldom") indicates that an event has many precursors similar to it in the past, and the word does not emphasise the high frequency.
3. Qì 亟 and pín 頻 "very often" (ant.* ǒu 偶 "on and off") are probably more intensitive than shuò 數.
4. Zòu 驟 "repeatedly, within a short period of time" (ant. shū 疏 "at long intervals") is more temporary in nature.
5. Cháng 常 (ant. xiǎn 鮮 "quite rarely, in the natural course of events") refers to fequency as a symptom of something being ordinary and only to be expected.
6. Duō 多 (ant. shǎo 少 "a few times, few times") is a colourless word indicating that something is of generally frequent occurrence.
- RARE
1. The current general word for seldom is hǎn 罕 (ant. lu# 屢 "fairly often), which tends to refer to a very low fequency of occurrence of something.
2. Xiǎn 鮮 (ant. cháng 常 "frequently, in the natural course of events") refer to a dramatic degree of scarcity.
3. Xī 希 / 稀 (ant. shuò 數 "repeatedly, many times, several times") refers to relative scarcity or sparseness both in time and in space.
4. Shǎo 少 (ant. duō 多 "often") is a colourless word frequently used to indicate non-specifically that something is not often seen.