Taxonomy of meanings for 測:
Additional information about 測
說文解字: 【測】，深所至也。从水、則聲。 【初側切】
- Criteria
- CALCULATE
1. The general word for the manipulation of numbers in arithmetic is suàn 算.
2. The commonest general term for counting objects is jì 計.
3. The current accountancy term is guì 會.
4. The engineering, bureaucratic, and generally technical terms for quantified precise calculation of measurements of any kind are dù 度 and liáng 量.
5. The typically demographic term is liào 料.
6. Cè 測 tends to focus on the difficulty of access to what is measured, and the object of measurement tends to depth of something.
- ESTIMATE
1. The general word for making an approximate extimate or guess is chuǎi 揣.
2. Cè 測 can be a well-founded assessment in some contexts, but the word has a well-established lexicalised function where it means generally "to guess".
3. Yì 意 is the subjective and arbitrary formation of an opinion, and the word has a somewhat "philosophical" flavour.
4. Shè 射 is guessing as part of a game of guessing and cannot be used for "to guess" in any other contexts.
5. Cǔn 忖 is a poetic word for assessing or estimating something that is not verifiable.
6. Duó 度 refers to a subjective assessment or estimation of something.
7. Kuí 揆 emphasises the conjectural element in guessing or estimating something.
8. Zhòng 中 and zhǔn 准 refer to getting things right when estimating or guessing.
- ASSESS
[DEFINITIVE/TENTATIVE]
[FIGURATIVE/LITERAL]
[GENERAL/SPECIFIC]
[PRECISE/VAGUE]
[PROSPECTIVE/RETROSPECTIVE]
1. Jì 計 refers to assessing something by a process of literal or figurative "precise calculation", and this is perhaps the most general word in this field.
[GENERAL], [PRECISE]
2. Liào 料 refers to a tentative and approximative subjective assessment, typically of probabilities.
[APPROXIMATIVE], [PROSPECTIVE], [TENTATIVE]
3. Cè 測 are to assess roughly or approximately, typically probabilities of the future, but also current matters.
[VAGUE], [TENTATIVE]
4. Lùn 論 focusses on the judgment passed explicitly by way of explicit assessment, and the word often has a theoretical or juridical flavour.
[DEFINITIVE], [EXPLICIT]
5. Liáng 量 refers very often literally to measuring physical dimensions of any kind, but can also be used figuratively to mean "fathom, imagine fully the size of something".
[LITERAL!]
6. Duó 度 is often more abstract in nuance and expresses something in the direction of a conclusive opinion about the matter assessed. Thus this meaning of duó 度 is close to the related meaning "reckon that, consider that".
[FIGURATIVE]; [[RARE]], [[MARGINAL]]
7. Chéng 程 is to apply an administrative standard in the bureaucratic assessment of something.
[DEFINITIVE], [OFFICIAL], [PRECISE]
8. Jiān 監 is to assess continuously through surveillence and the like, often through the intermediary of others.
[LASTING], [OFFICIAL], [VAGUE]
9. Chēng 稱 is primarily to assess the weight of something. See WEIGH.
10. Xiàng 相 is specifically to assess the basic inner true qualities of something on the basis of external features, as in physiognomy or the art of assessing the true quality horses by heir appearance.
[DEFINITIVE], [PRECISE], [SPECIFIC]
- Word relations
- Object: (ASSESS)深 / 深/DEEP
The dominant current general word for anything deep in any sense is shēn 深 (ant. qiǎn 淺"shallow"). - Contrast: (ESTIMATE)量/MEASURE