Taxonomy of meanings for 徑:　　

  • 徑 jìng (OC: keeŋs MC: keŋ) 古定切 去 廣韻：【歩道古定切七 】
    • PATH
      • nshortcut, shortcut path. trail
      • nfigurativeshortcut in action
      • nabsocialtemporary right of way
      • taking a shortcut>WALK
          • go to abstractly: choose as an easy option>CHOOSE
            • abstract>NEGLECT
              • feature>SHORT
                • nadNdirect, quick; quick (of a way)
                • nadVby a shortcut> directly
                • vtoNcausativemake short and concise
                • vtoNfigurativebe shorter and more direct than N
                • feature>STRAIGHT
                    • subject>LINE
                      • ndiameter
                      • nabmathematical termCHEMLA 2003:
                      • direct way to circumference> DIAMETER
                • taking a shortcut>QUICK
                    • grammaticalised>IMMEDIATELY
                      • nadVtimeimmediately; directly; without further ado
                  • generalised>EASY
                    • associated feature>ACT
                      • vtoNacttake direct action with respect to
                  • generalised>WAY
                      • mid-way>MIDDLE
                        • nadVmidway; temporally: before one has got to the end
                • 徑 ｊｉｎｇ１《集韻》堅靈切，平青見。耕部。

                  Additional information about 徑

                  說文解字: 【徑】，步道也。从彳、巠聲。 【徐鍇曰：道不容車，故曰步道。】 【居正切】

                    Criteria
                  • LINE

                    1. Shéng 繩 is the abstract term for a line is the word for the thread/rope, used figuratively, often expanded to shéng mò 繩墨 "the inkline".

                    2. Háng 行 refers specificallty to a line of text. MOVE THIS TO LINE-OF-WRITING

                    3. Jìng 徑 refers specifically to the line constituted by a diameter of a circle.

                  • SHORT

                    1. The current general term for shortness is duǎn 短 (ant. cháng 長 "long").

                    2. Jìng 徑 refers specifically to the shortness of a walking distance or a travelling distance.

                    NB: Cuó 矬 and ǎi 矮 "of short stature" are apparently post-Han (NANBEICHAO/SONG).

                  • PATH

                    1. Perhaps the most general term for a path is jìng 徑, but the word refers specifically to a shortcut, whereas the rarer xī 蹊 refers more generally to any path that has been trampled up, by humans or by animals.

                    2. Qiān mò 阡陌 are the ubiquitous mudpaths between fields ideally qiān 阡 going north-south and mò 陌 east-west, but this latter commentarial tradition would seem to be an idealising rationalisation.

                    3. Lǒng 壟 is occasionally used to refer to the raised borders between fields.

                    4. Mǔ 畝 is an earlier word than 壟 referring to the raised borders between fields, and by extension to the fields themselves.

                    Word relations
                  • Contrast: (PATH)道/WAY Dào 道, when used in its concrete meaning referring to a means of communication tends to refer to a larger line of communication, and the traditional claim is that the term refers to a road where two vehicles can pass each other. Thus the First Emperor called his Autobahns chí dào 馳道 and not chí lù 馳路.