Taxonomy of meanings for 斤:　　

Additional information about 斤

說文解字: 【斤】，斫木也。 〔小徐本作「斫木斧也。」〕 象形。凡斤之屬皆从斤。 【舉欣切】

Criteria
• SCALES
  

  1. General word for scales is chèng 秤 / 稱, which occurs already in LSCQ. It refers to the whole implement, i.e. both to the weighing rod and the weight. Today, typical Chinese lever scales consists of the weighing rod and the weight suspended from it. The thing to be weighed is put on the bowl hanged down from the one end of the weighing beam, and its weight is determined by moving the weight till balance between the weight and weighed thing is reached. It seems that this type of scales came to be used only in Tang times. Scales known from the Warring States period consists of the wooden stick with two small bronze bowls suspended from its both sides; the things to be weighed were put on one bowl and weights on the other.

  2. Héng 衡 refers to the whole of the weighing contraption, the scales, but the term does not include a weight.

  3. Quán 權 refers to the weight. Weights known from the Warring States period are usually made of bronze. According to the late Warring States and Han texts, they were divided into five categories - zhū 銖, liǎng 兩, jīn 斤, jūn 鈞, and shí 石 - but it should be noted that situation was more complicated, and in Warring States times weights differred from state to state.

  4. Chuí 錘 refers to the weight. According to FANG YAN, in Han times the word was used in the area of ancient states of Lu and Song; later it came to be used as general word for the weight.

  5. Quán 銓, when used in the meaning "scales" is synonymous with chèng 秤, but the word is rare.

• AXE
  

  [CEREMONIAL/PRACTICAL]

  [[COMMON/RARE]]

  [LARGE/SMALL]

  [ELEVATED/INFORMAL]

  1. The most current word for an axe is perhaps fǔ 斧, but the word refers specifically to an axe as in the illustration, used to split things with.

  [SPECIFIC]; [COMMON+]

  2. Jīn 斤 refers to an axe where the blade is at a right angle to the shaft, as in the illustration, and this axe would seem to be of use only for cutting down branches or small trees or bushes.

  [SPECIFIC]; [[COMMON+]

  3. Yuè 鉞 refers to a battle axe which came to be mostly used for ritual execution or ceremonial purposes.

  [CEREMONIAL], [ELEVATED], [LARGE], [SPECIFIC]

  4. Qī 戚 is a somewhat smaller variety of the yuè 鉞.

  [CEREMONIAL], [ELEVATED], [SPECIFIC]

  5. Qiāng 斨 refers to a fǔ 斧 -style axe with a square hole for the handle.

  [SPECIFIC]

  6. Zhǔ 欘 adze, refers to a carpenter 掇 or cooper 掇 tool, like an axe with the blade set at right angles to the handle and curving inwards towards it; used for cutting or slicing away the surface of wood.

  [SPECIFIC]; [[RARE]]

Word relations
• Assoc: (AXE)斧/AXE The most current word for an axe is perhaps fǔ 斧, but the word refers specifically to an axe as in the illustration, used to split things with. [SPECIFIC]; [COMMON+] 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (AXE)斧/AXE The most current word for an axe is perhaps fǔ 斧, but the word refers specifically to an axe as in the illustration, used to split things with. [SPECIFIC]; [COMMON+]