Taxonomy of meanings for 憐:　　

  • 憐 lián (OC: ɡ-riiŋ MC: len) 落賢切 平 廣韻：【俗憐 】
  • 憐 lián (OC: riin MC: len) 落賢切 平 廣韻：【愛也又哀矜也 】
    • ENVY
      • vtoNenvy
    • LOVE
      • vtoNpassivebe loved
    • SYMPATHY
      • nabpity, sympathy, affection
      • vtoNpassivebe pitied
      • vtoNpsychfeel self-pity
      • vtoNstativefeel sympathy and commiserations as well as affection for; show sympathetic care for

    Additional information about 憐

    說文解字:

      Criteria
    • ENVY

      1. The most current general word for the positive aspects envy is probably xiàn 羨 (ant. dù 妒 "resentful envy"), but this word rarely has negative overtones of dissatisfaction and is often close in meaning to "admiration". See ADMIRE.

      2. The rare usage of the word lián 憐 which normally means "to pity", to mean "envy" has no strong overtones of objective admiration.

      NB: for dù 妒 etc. see HATE and JEALOUS. It is difficult to find a general word for envy as a negative attitude without that element of hatred and resentment in pre-Buddhist China.

    • SYMPATHY

      1. The standard word for sympathy and commiseration in psychological attitude as well as in action is xù 恤 / 卹 (ant. rěn 忍 "heartless").

      2. Mǐn 閔／憫 (ant. cán 殘 "cruel and heartless") is a purely psychological word referring to feelings of deep concern and sympathy, often coupled with sadness and a desire to act to improve things. See also SADNESS

      3. Jīn 矜 expresses, apparently, a somewhat higher intensity in the purely psychological feelings of sympathy.

      4. Āi 哀 refers to passive concern for what one unfortunately can do little about.

      5. Lián 憐 refers to sympathy as loving warm concern and a wish to show this loving concern in action.

      Word relations
    • Ant: (SYMPATHY)忍/CRUEL The current general word for psychological cruelty is rěn 忍 (ant. cí 慈 "show kind loving concern"), and the current general word for cruelty in action is cán 殘 (ant. rén 仁 "kind-heartedness").
    • Assoc: (SYMPATHY)哀/SYMPATHY Āi 哀 refers to passive concern for what one unfortunately can do little about.