Taxonomy of meanings for 求:　　

  • qiú (OC: ɡu MC: ɡiu) 巨鳩切 平 廣韻：【索也又姓三輔決録云漢有求伸 】
    • SEEK
      • nabactcraving
      • vadNseeking, striving
      • vt(oN)omseek for (a contextually determinate object)
      • vt[oN]be covetous
      • vt+prep+Nseek N
      • vtoNpositiveaspire to get to or be in the presence of or know the whereabouts of (a longed-for object, typically a person); seek to realise (aspirations etc);
      • vtoNtry to find, try to find and employ; seek for; crave
      • vtoNfigurativeseek to identify >find out about; seek an abstract entity
      • vtoNmathematical termCHEMLA 2003:
      • vtoNpassivebe sought
      • vtoNab{S}seek to achieve that S
      • vttoN1.+N2seek N1 from N2
      • vttoN1.+prep+N2seek N1 from N2, look for it in N2
      • vtoNseek the company or friendship ofCH
      • vtoNreflexive.自seek for oneself (?)CH
      • vtoNtry to find (a concrete physical object)CH
      • vtoV[0]求得"seek to obtain": seek toCH
      • nabact of seekingseekingCH
      • vt[oN]positiveseek to get things; aspire on things; try to getDS
      • inadvertently: “ask for”> CAUSE
        • vtoNbe the cause of, "ask for"
      • resultative> FIND
        • vtoNresultative: seek out, findCH
        • vtoSto find out SLZ
      • statively:emotionally> DESIRE
        • vtoNseek for emotional reasons> seek the friendship or love of; have a sexual desire for
        • vttoN1. prep N2wish to get to know N2 from N1CH
        • vt0oVt(oN)seeking to Vt the contextually determinate object NCH
        • look forward to> EXPECT
          • vtoNexpect as a natural consequenceCH
        • deliberate> INTEND
          • vt+V[0]to intend to VLZ
          • actively> STRIVE FOR
            • vt+V[0]seek to V (often difficult to distinguish from TRY...)
            • vtoNabstrive forCH
            • nab.post-N{SUBJ}object=所求 what the N strives for> aims, aspirationsCH
            • nabaim, aspirationLZ
            • vtoNto strive forLZ
            • vt[oN]strive for things;DS
            • object action> TRY
              • vt+V[0]seek to, make every effort to V 求仙 "try to become an immortal" 求及
              • vt+V[0]copulatry to become
              • vt+V[0]V=passivetry to be V-ed
            • using language> REQUEST
              • nabactdemands
              • vt+V[0]seek to V, sometimes close to: "demand to V"
              • vtoNN=audienceaddress requests to
              • vtoNobject=requested actmake a request for (some act or favour) 求事
              • vttoN1.+prep+N2request N1 from N2
              • vttoN1(.+prep+N2)ask the contextually determinate N2 for N1
              • vtt(oN1). prep N2seek/request/ask the contextually determinate N1 (support, help etc) from N2DS
              • vtoNN=thingask for; beg for; request a thing NDS
              • vtt(oN.)+V[0]N=pivotask the contextually determinate N to VDS
              • specifically: consult> ASK
                • vtoNask advice of; consult
              • insistent> DEMAND
                • nabactdemands
                • vt[oN]make demands
                • vtoNmake demands for
                • vtoNmarriagedemand (wife)
                • vttoN1.+prep+N2make demands (for something N1) from (someone N2)
                • vttoN1.+prep+N2psychseek N1 from (oneself) 求諸己
                • vtoV[0]V=passivedemand to be V-edCH
                • vttoN1. prep N2demand to get to know about N2 from N1CH
                • nabpost-Ndemands on, demands regarding, demands in the sphere ofLZ
                • vt+prep+Nmake demands on NCH
              • to come> INVITE
                • vtoNlate: invite politely
              • to marry> MARRY
                • vt(oN)ask for the contextually determinate person in marriage
                • vtoNask for in marriage (on behalf of a third person)

    Additional information about 求

    說文解字: 【𧚍(裘)】，皮衣也。从衣、求聲。一曰：象形，與衰同意。 〔小徐本無「意」。〕 凡 裘 之屬皆从 裘 【巨鳩切】 【求】，古文省衣。 〔小徐本作「古文求。此與裘意同。」〕

      Criteria
    • REQUEST

      1. The current general word for a request is qiú 求 (ant. dé 得 "obtain"), which however can also come to mean demand and is therefore not a particularly polite term to use.

      2. Qǐng 請 is the polite term for a request addressed to a superior or an equal; and this term is currently used in early texts to refer to a suggestion made in the superficial rhetorical form of a request.

      3. Suǒ 索 is a strong request for someting one takes to be due to one.

      4. Yè 謁 refers to (inappropriate) special requests made to acquaintances in high office, and the term can come to have negative overtones when used as a noun.

    • SEEK

      1. The current general word for trying to find or get something is qiú 求.

      2. Suǒ 索 refers to an attempt to get hold of what is hard to find or trying to escape.

      3. Sōu 搜 refers to the conduct of a searching campaign of some size, typically for a person.

      4. Gān 干 refers to the abstract pursuit of aims in life.

      5. Móu 牟 refers to concerted action to insure the supply of necessities or conveniences, both concrete and abstract.

      6. Zhēng 爭 is to make a strenuous competitive effort to get something.

      NB: Xún 尋 is apparently post-Buddhist.

    • DEMAND

      1. The current word for putting forward justified legal demands on someone is zé 責, and the word refers to any demand for the fulfillment of a duty.

      2. Zhēng 徵 refers to a state insisting on its legal rights and thus making demands on the people.

      3. Zhū 誅 refers to a fierce legal demand for something that is construed as one's right.

      4. Qiú 求 is often used to refer not to seeking something, but insistently demanding it. See also SEEK.

    • MATE

      1. The most current general word for a partner of the other sex is pǐ 匹, and one suspects that even when the word refers to mates of one sex this meaning is an effect of the context rather than the meaning of the word itself.

      2. O ㄆ偶 refers to a concrete partner or to more abstractly, like Modern Chinese duìxiàng 對象 to refer to the notion of someone who will fill the role of partner of the other sex. NB: one may qiú ǒu 求偶 and xuǎn ǒu 選偶, but it appears pǐ 匹 is not used in such contexts.

      3. Qiú 逑 is a poetic poet and archaising word for a mate.

      4. Bì 嬖 refers to a senior person's favourite of either sex with whom he may or may not entertain sexual relations as part of the relationship.

    • TRY

      1. The current general word for trying is shì 試, but the word generally refers to brief attempts rather than a concerted lasting campaign.

      2. Cháng 嘗 "make an attempt at" typically takes nominal objects, and the attempt referred to is typically of a transient kind.

      3. Qiú 求 refers to a sustained attempt to achieve a result.

      NB: There are apparently no nominal uses of any of these words. It will be interesting to find a case of a nominalised "attempt".

      Word relations
    • Conv: (SEEK)與 / 予/GIVE The most general word for to give is probably yǔ 與 (ant. qǔ 取 "take away from").
    • Result: (SEEK)得/OBTAIN The current general and highly abstract verb for obtaining any form of possession of anything abstract or concrete is dé 得 (ant. shī 失 "lose inadvertently").
    • Result: (SEEK)致/OBTAIN
    • Result: (SEEK)得/FIND
    • Ant: (REQUEST)施/GIVE
    • Ant: (SEEK)避 / 辟/AVOID Bì 避 (ant. mào 冒"expose oneself to"), unlike miǎn 免, is always deliberate and describes a strategy of action which successfully avoids an undesirable impending danger. [DELIBERATE]
    • Object: (SEEK)福/HAPPY
    • Object: (SEEK)道術/PHILOSOPHY
    • Contrast: (SEEK)考 / 考/INVESTIGATE Kǎo 考 and jī 稽 refer to an objective investigation into something on the basis of the best available evidence.
    • Assoc: (SEEK)索/SEEK Suǒ 索 refers to an attempt to get hold of what is hard to find or trying to escape.
    • Assoc: (SEEK)追/PURSUE Zhuī 追 refers to the attempt of catching up with anything, characteristically a kòu 寇 "enemy" or thief (who may not know he is being pursued) but without any attending notion that what is being caught up with is NECESSARILY trying to escape or to make great speed, and the word is regularly used in figurative derived meanings "to seek", as in zhuī lì 追利 "chasing after profit".
    • Relat: (SEEK)富/RICH The general word for wealth is fù 富 (ant. pín 貧 "poor"), and the word has a remarkably wide range of syntactic roles.