Taxonomy of meanings for 照:　　

  • 照 zhào (OC: kljews MC: tɕiɛu) 之少切 去 廣韻：【明也之少切三 】
    • UNDERSTAND
      • vtoNkeep orientated about, be well-informed about; get to see, spot
      • vttoN1.+prep+N2understand N1 in the light of N2
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  • 照 zhào (OC: kljews MC: tɕiɛu) 之少切 去 廣韻：【同照 】
    • SHINE
      • vtoNshine on, illuminate; cause something to shine on
      • vichangebecome illuminated, shine
      • vishine
      • vtoNfigurativeshine on, illuminate
      • vt[oN{REFLEX}]reflexivereflect oneself in
      • nabfeaturesheen
      • vt+prep+Nfigurativethrow light on; enlighten
      • vt(oN)shine on the contextually determinate NDS
      • vtoNshine on; illuminate (GUOYU); make manifest; make visible
      • feature>BRIGHT
        • figurative: abstract>UNDERSTAND
          • vtoNkeep orientated about, be well-informed about; get to see, spot
          • vttoN1.+prep+N2understand N1 in the light of N2
          • nominalised: feature>INTELLIGENT
            • think of>THINK
              • causative, make understand: linguistially>REPORT
                  • causative: physically>SHOW
                    • causative: intellectually>PROVE
                      • instrument for>MIRROR
                          • what mirrors something else>PICTURE
                            • grammaticalised> ACCORDING TO

                    Additional information about 照

                    說文解字:

                      Criteria
                    • SHINE

                      1. The most current general word for throwing light on something is zhào 照.

                      2. Míng 明 is typically used in a transferred sense of making something visible and clear.

                      3. Pù 曝 / 暴 is a dramatic physical word referring to the exposing of something blazing or scorching light.

                      4. Yào 耀 is a dramatic word referring to shining a dazzling light on something.

                      Word relations
                    • Ant: (SHINE)暗 / 闇/DARK Àn 暗/闇 (ant. míng 明 "bright") can refer to darkness but most of the time this word actually refers abstractly to the benightedness of a ruler.