Taxonomy of meanings for 牢:　　

Additional information about 牢

說文解字: 【牢】，閑養牛馬圈也。从牛、冬省，取其四周帀也。 〔小徐本「冬省」下有「聲」，「帀」下無「也」。〕 【魯刀切】

Criteria
• STABLE
  

  1. Láo 牢 is perhaps the most general term for a stable for any animals, but it appears that the term specifically referred to pens without roofs. [The word occurs already in oracle bone inscriptions where it most probably refers to the oxen or sheep raised in pens and then used for sacrifices. The character shows a cow or a sheep within rectangular pen or stable with narrow exit which is similar in shape to the stable known from Han models. [WANG 1993: 195; SUN 1991: 212; JGJWZD 1993: 60 - 61; ill.: SUN 1991: 53-2]

  2. Juàn 圈 is a stable for animals, especially sheep and dogs. [(WANG 1993: 195). Dog and sheep stables known from Han models are usually very small: SUN 1991: 212 - 214; ill.: SUN 1991: 53-3, 53-6; HAYASHI 1976: pp. 63, tab. 4-17]

  3. Jiù 廄 is the current term for horse stables. [(WANG 1993: 195). Horses were usually under central control, and from Han times there are official seals with titles such us director of horse stables etc.. [SUN 1991: 212 - 214; ill.: SUN 1991: 53-9]

  4. Zào 皂 is occasionally used for horse or cattle stables.

  5. Lì 櫪 is a current word for horse stables. The word usually refers to the horse trough, but by extension also to the stable.

  6. Hùn 溷／圂 is a pigsty. The pigsty was in Han times at the same time used as a toilet. [WANG 1993: 195; SUN 1991: 212; ill.: SUN 1991: 53-4; HAYASHI 1976: pp. 63, tab. 4-16]

  7. Jiàn 檻 is a pen used to keep wild animals in captivity.

  8. Shí 塒 refers to a chicken pen, and the word occurs already in SHIJING. This is known from one Han model which shows the wall with four holes, with one chicken or duck whithin each. [SUN 1991: 215; XIANG 1997: 573]

  9. Xián 閑 is another word for horse stable. [HANYU DACIDIAN 1992: vol. 12: pp. 69]

  Jié 桀 refers to the wooden STAKE for chicken; the word is known already from SHJING: SUN 1991: 215; XIANG 1997: 305; SUN 1991: 53-8; HAYASHI 1976: pp. 63, tab. 4-22]

• BOVINE
  

  [CONGERIES]

  1. The current general word for bovines of any kind is niú 牛.

  2. Xī 犀 is the standard word for a rhinoceros.

  3. Sì 兕 refers to an unidentified large wild ox which was currently hunted in Shang Dynasty times.

  4. Máo 旄 refers to the yak-ox generally, famous for profuse growth of hair all over the body and the limbs.

  5. Máo 犛 refers to the black yak-ox, but the word is as rare as was, presumably, the animal in central parts of China.

  6. Láo 牢 refers to an bovine specially reared for sacrificial person, and the word is ubiquitous in OBI.

  7. Xī sì 犀兕 is a generic term referring to rhino-like bovines, and the compound is never referential referring to one specific beast of this kind.

• PRISON
  

  1. The current general single-character word for a government prison is 獄, but this word first became current in Han times.

  2. Líng yǔ 囹圄／囹圉 is the standard pre-Qin word for a state prison.

  3. Láo 牢 is a colloquial word for an official prison.

  4. Àn 犴 refers originally to a fierce dog a statue of which was a guardian at prisons, but the name of this dog was then occasionally used by synecdoche as a word for a prison.

  5. Huán tǔ 圜土 refers to a small walled city-like compound that serves as a prison.

  6. Jiàn 轞 refers to a prisoner carriage. See PRISON VEHICLE

• SACRIFICIAL ANIMAL
  

  1. The general term for sacrificial animals is xī shēng 犧牲.

  2. Xī 犧 refers specifically for an animal that has been used in sacrifice.

  3. Shēng 牲 refers specifically to an animal that one intends to use for sacrificial purposes.

  4. Quán 牷 refers to an animal that has been selected for special rearing for sacrificial purposes because of it's unified colour.

  5. Láo 牢 refers collectively to a set of animals used for sacrificing, usually consistic of an ox, a sheep and a pig, as in the Roman suovetaurilia.