Additional information about 慨
說文解字: 【慨】，忼慨，壯士不得志也。从心、旣聲。 【古溉切】
- Criteria
- FRUGAL
1. The current general word for the virtue of parsimony is jiǎn 儉 (ant. shē 奢 "extravagant in the use of resources").
2. Jié 節 (ant. chǐ 侈 "lavish use of resources") refers to the virtue of moderation in the use of things as it applies to specified areas and does not function an abstract philosophical concept of parsimony.
3. The negative quality of stinginess is lìn 吝 (ant. POST-BUDDHIST kāng kǎi 慷慨 "generous (with friends)", and in pre-Buddhist times the less exact huì 惠 "generous (to inferiors)").
4. The neutral terms for thrift are shěng 省 (ant. fèi 費 "spend freely"), jiǎn 簡, and yuē 約.
5. Xí 惜 (ant. tài 泰 / 汰 "use up resources thoughtlessly") refers to the reluctance to let go of something or to use it up.
- GENEROUS
1. Probably the most general word for generosity is huì 惠 (ant. sè 嗇 "stingy, ungenerous"), and this refers to any kind of emotional as well as material munificence by a person of superior status.
2. Hòu 厚 (ant. báo 薄 "less than ample") refers to generosity of treatment which is not necessarily directed towards inferiors.
3. Shī 施 focuses on the very activity involved in generous treatment of others, and the subject of this activitiy is normally a person of superior status.
4. E!n 恩 (ant. chóu 仇 "hostile attitude") refers primarily to an attitude or disposition (typically on the part of a person of superior status) to be generous.
5. Dé 德 and the rarer zé 澤 refer to graceful and spiritually inspiring munificence, typically from a person of supremely high status.
6. Kuān 寬 and the rarer guǎng 廣 can refer to a general disposition towards non-narrow and broadly directed generosity.
7. Zhān 霑 refers to receiving the benefits of generosity and is thus marginal in this group, and the word is rare.
NB: Kāng kǎi 慷慨 refers to generousity with one's resources, but the usage is first attested in Ming novels.
- STINGY
1. A4i 愛 refers to stinginess with respect to a certain item, or to a certain kind of items.
2. The negative quality of stinginess is lìn 吝 (ant. POST-BUDDHIST kāng kǎi 慷慨 "generous (with friends)", and in pre-Buddhist times the less exact huì 惠 "generous (to inferiors)").
- SIGH
1. The current general word for any kind of sigh or groan is tàn 歎.
2. Tài xí 太息 refers to sighing not as a sign of distress but of any heightened emotion.
3. Kuì rán 喟然 refers almost onomatopoetically to the sound of sighing.
4. Shēn 呻 refers to a slow and drawn-out sigh, according to tradition.
5. Yín 吟 refers, according to tradition, to a somewhat shorter and more eruptive sigh.
6. Wǎn 惋 refers to a sigh expressive of distress.
7. Jiē 嗟 refers typically to a demonstrative sigh (or occasionally even lamentation), but this demonstrative sigh can also signify admiration.
8. Kài 慨 refers to an intense sigh of heightened emotion of any kind.
9. Xī xū 欷歔 and the earlier xū xī 歔欷 refer to tearful sighs of distress.
- STIMULATE
1. The current general word for stimulating a sentient being into action, or causing feelings, is gǎn 感 (ant. yìng 應 "respond").
2. Jī 激 refers to prodding something or someone into action.
3. Dòng 動 refers to bringing about action or movement in someone or something.
4. Kāng kǎi 慷慨 is marginal in this group and refers to a tendency to be moved into actions and feelings by other things.