Taxonomy of meanings for 弒:　　

  • 弒 shì (OC: lʰɯɡs MC: ɕɨ) 式吏切 去 廣韻：【大逆亦作殺 】
    • MURDER
      • vtoNassassinate (a superior), whether one's ruler, parent, or elder sibling. Sometimes incirectly through a hired assassin
      • vtoNpassiveget assassinated 見弒
      • vtoNautonymto assassinate
      • vtoNmurderCH
      • nabactassassination; attempt at assassinationCH
      • vt[oN]murder rulers or superiorsCH

Additional information about 弒

說文解字:

    Criteria
  • MURDER

    1. The standard word for murder is the same as the general word for killing, shā 殺.

    2. Shì 弒 refers to assassination of a ruler, and always with negative connotations (the justified killing of a ruler would still be shā 殺 ).

    3. Cì 刺 is to stab and thereby kill.

    4. Zéi 賊 refers to an arranged murder, often through a hired assassin.

    5. Zhèn 鴆 is to kill with poison.

  • ASSASSINATE

    弒

  • KILL

    1. The overwhelmingly dominant term referring to any form of taking the life of anything is shā 殺.

    2. Some words specify the range of objects murdered: Thus shì 弒 refers to the killing of a reigning ruler, zhū 誅 and yí 夷 refer to the killing of a convicted criminal; zǎi 宰 and tú3 屠 refer primarily to the slaughtering of animals for the purpose of food production.

    3. Some words specify the number of objects killed: yí 夷, zú 族, jiān 殲 tú 屠 (when applied to humans) refer to the killing of groups of people. See PUNISHMENT. The other words refer normally to the killing of one person or a specified set of several persons.

    4. Some words specify modes of killing: cì 刺 is to murder by stabbing with a pointed object, typically a dagger; liè 裂 and jiě 解 refer to dismembering by a wide variety of methods; zhèn 鴆 refers to poisoning; jǐng 剄 refers to cutting the throat; xī 腊 refers to killing followed by making a person into minced meat; rèn 刃 is to kill with a sword; jiǎo 絞 and yì 縊 refer to strangulation, è4 mèi 扼昧 and refer to strangulation; è 餓 can refer to starving someone to death. For a more detailed account of the varieties of death penalties in ancient China see PUNISHMENT.

    Word relations
  • Object: (MURDER)君/RULER Jūn 君 (ant. chén 臣 "minister") refers specifically to someone who is politically or administratively in charge of others as a ruler.
  • Contrast: (MURDER)劫/ARROGATE Jíé 劫 adds to the notion of misapropriation that violence or threat of violence.
  • Contrast: (MURDER)殺 / 煞/KILL The overwhelmingly dominant term referring to any form of taking the life of anything is shā 殺.