Taxonomy of meanings for 島:　　

  • 島 diǎo (OC: tuuwʔ MC: teu) 都了切 上 廣韻：【 】
  • 島 dǎo (OC: taawʔ MC: tɑu) 都晧切 上 廣韻：【説文曰海中往往有山可依止也又音鳥 】
    • ISLAND
      • nmountainous or rocky large island, typically in the sea; island in the sea
    • SURNAMES

      Additional information about 島

      說文解字:

        Criteria
      • ISLAND

        1. Zhōu 洲 refers to a sizeable island of silt in a river.

        2. Zhǔ 渚 refers to a smaller variety of zhōu 洲.

        3. Zhǐ 沚 refers to a tiny island of silt-land in a river.

        4. Chí 坻 refers to an even small patch of land in a river.

        5. Dǎo 島 refers to a stony island, mostly in the sea, and the word is exceedingly rare in pre-Buddhist times.

        6. Yǔ 嶼 refers to a smaller variety of dǎo 島.

        NB: ERYA makes many of these distinctions.