Taxonomy of meanings for 建:　　

Additional information about 建

說文解字: 【建】，立朝律也。从聿、从廴。 【臣鉉等曰：聿，律也。】 【居萬切】

Criteria
• DRUM
  

  1. The current general word for a drum is gǔ 鼓. The ancient Chinese drum was beaten on the sides and not on the top.

  2. Pí 鼙 refers to a small handdrum wonderfully illustrated in a recent excavation from Sichuan.

  3. Jiàn gǔ 建鼓 refers to a drum set up on a war chariot and used in war times to give signals to soldiers. [The term specifically refers to a drum used in this way in war times, but it can generally refer to any drum set up on a wooden base and beaten on two sides.

  4. Gāo 鼛 refers to a large drum suspended on a frame. This was typically used to summon meetings. [Large drum used during feasts and to give signals in large public works; both functions are mentioned already in SHIJING.

  5. Fú 桴／枹 is the current general term for a drumstick.

  6. Fén 鼖 refers to a big drum which could be mounted on a vehicle and be used to give signals to soldiers.

  7. Fǔ2 柎 refers to a small handdrum filled with grain which was used to give a rhytm in musical performances.

  8. Táo 鞀 is a small two-eared hand-drum on the handle which one beat on by shaking it; it was used to regulate musical performances.

  9. Qì 蟿 is drum used to announce the night watches which is mentioned in ZHOULI.

  10. Tuó gǔ 鼉鼓 refers to a drum covered with alligator skin; the oldest evidence of this kind of drum is from the 3rd millenium B.C.

• BUILD
  

  1. The general current word for erecting or rebuilding a permanent structure of any kind is zhú 築.

  2. Lì 立 "to erect" focuses on the resulting uprightness of the structure, but the word.

  3. Xiū 脩 focusses on the careful finishing work of construction, and the word also applies to reconstruction with careful attention paid to the finish. [See REPAIR]

  4. Gòu 構 "make a structure" focusses on the fitting together of different parts, Lothar Ledderose's modules, to make a structured whole.

  5. Qǐ 起 "raise (a building)" is an administrative neutral term that can refer to the building of any larger structure, and the word become current in this meaning in Han times.

  6. Wéi 為 is currently used to refer specifically to the building of houses or capitals. See PRODUCE

  7. Zuò 作 "take the initiative to build" a very general word to use which can refer to all sorts of making of things. See PRODUCE.

  8. Jiàn 建 "to establish" is mostly used abstractly and not for concrete physical structures. See ESTABLISH

  9. Jīng 經 and yíng 營 are archaic and poetic words focussing on a concerted large-scale public effort.

• ESTABLISH
  

  1. The current general word for setting up anything abstract or concrete is lì 立 and the almost equally common shè 設.

  2. Jiàn 建 refers to bringing something into existence through a comprehensive concerted effort.

  3. Jù 具 refers to establishing or setting up what is necessary in a certain context.

  4. Zhì 制 refers to set up institutionally a system.

  5. Cuò 錯 / 措 and zhì 置 (ant. feì 廢 "remove from its proper place") refer to putting something solidly and firmly in its proper place.

  6. Shù 樹 refers to planting or establishing something firmly where one intends it to remain.

• INSTALL
  

  1. The general term for installing someone in a high position is lì 立.

  2. Fēng 封 refers specifically to installing a person in an enfeoffed position.

  3. Jiàn 建 primarily refers to the establishment not of a person but of the position itself; however, the word does occasionally refer to the establishment of a person in the position of a ruler.

  NB: Jí wèi 即位 and the rarer as well as more elevated jiàn zuò 踐阼 refer to the act of ascending the throne, i.e. to "being installed".