Taxonomy of meanings for 玉:　　

Additional information about 玉

說文解字: 【玉】，石之美有五德：潤澤以溫，仁之方也；䚡理自外可以知中，義之方也；其聲舒揚尃以遠聞，智之方也；不橈而折，勇之方也；銳廉而不技，絜之方也。象三玉之連，丨，其貫也。凡玉之屬皆从玉。 〔小徐本「橈」作「撓」，「技」作「忮」，「絜」作「潔」。〕 【[李]陽冰曰：三畫正均如貫玉也。】 【魚欲切】 【𤣪】，古文玉。

Criteria
• RING
  

  1. Huán 環 refers to the jade ring; according to SHUOWEN, radius of the hole in its centre is the same as the breadth of the ring. From Western Zhou to Han times, it was used mainly like a pendant hanged from the belt downward. It was very precious artefact, and could be given as a gift. Later, the term also refers to the circular adornments made of any material; from the Han, there is textual evidence for golden or silver huán 環, and from the same period are known finds of metal fingerrings.

  2. Bì 璧 refers to the jade ring which is similar to huán 環, but its breadth is according to SHUOWEN greater than the radius of its central hole. It was used mainly like a pendant in the same way like huán 環. It was also very precious artefact and could be given like a gift. Moreover, and other jade pendants expressed status of its holder in the official hierarchy; but it is highly doubtful whether there was such strict system of sumptuary rules regulating the use of jades as is described in LIJI (according to this text, to each rank in the hierarchy belonged special type of jade). According to LIJI, bì 璧 was also one of the six ritual jades, and was used to worship Heaven; but this is probably only late Warring States or Han speculation. In the end, it should be noted that the circle jade objects with a hole in their centre the were widely used over a huge territory of China already since the 4the and 3rd millenium B.C. till the Han period. Their functions and meanings obviously changed in the course of time, and it is very problematic to divide them into the categories defined mainly in the late Eastern Zhou and Han texts, and interpreted the functions and the meaning of the artefacts on the basis of these texts.

  3. Yuàn 瑗 is another kind of a circular jade pendant used in the same way like preceding two. According to SHUOWEN, its breadth should be smaller than the radius of the central hole.

  4. Jué 玦 refers to the unclosed jade ring. Artefacts of this type are known already since the Neolithic and their finds cover large territory. These objects could be used in different ways (in many areas probably like earrings, but they were used mainly like pendants cloth pendants by aristocrats in Central China from the Western Zhou till Han times.

  5. Chuàn 釧 refers to the armring made usually of metal. It was known already in Han times; there are metal armrings known already from the Han period.

  6. Zhuó 鐲 refers to the armband made usually of metal. It was known already in Han times.

  [7. Tiàn (written like 玉 and 真 ) refers to the jade ear ornament, or more precisely, to the piece of jade which was worn by the aristocrats of the Zhou period in the level of ears hanged down on the string from the hat. [WANG 1993: 261; HUANG 1995: 708 - 709; XIANG 1997: 643; ill.: probably some found in the graves besides the head of the deceased were used in this way: HUANG 1995: 777]

  8. Ěr 珥 refers to the ear ornament which was worn by women in Han times. It was hanged down either from the hairpin till the level of the ear, or from dāng 璫 fixed in the ear (see below). [HUANG 1995: 709 - 710; ZGYI 1996: 412; ill.: ZGYI 1996: pp. 411; SUN 1991: pp. 61-13]

  9. Dāng 璫 refers to the earring worn by women since Han times. It was made of jade, glass, or fayence, and was fixed in the earlobe. [WANG 1993: 262; HUANG 1995: 709 - 710; ZGYI 1996: 411 - 412; SUN 1991: 247; ill.: SUN 1991: 61-9 - 61-12, 61-26] [JM]

• WARFARE
  

  1. The current general word for warfare is bīng 兵.

  2. Róng 戎 refers to military service or military action.

  3. Gān gē 干戈 (ant. yù bó 玉帛 "jade and silk") is a periphrastic way of referring to military affairs.

  4. Wǔ 武 "military affairs" (ant. wén 文 "civil affairs") refers not so much to battles and military action, but to the administration of military affairs in general.

• MOUNTAINS
  

  8. Qí shān 岐山 is located in the northeast of the modern Qishan district, Shaanxi province. It was also called Tiān zhǔ shān 天柱山 Fēnghuángduī4 風凰堆. Ancient Zhou centers were located close to this mountain. For this reason, Qí shān 岐山 is mentioned already in the Shijing.

  9. Qíliánshān 祁連山 is another name for Tiānshān 天山. This mountain range is located in the southern and western part of the modern Xinjiang. It is divided into two groups - the northern in the central Xinjiang, and the southern in the southern Xinjiang. The former is identical with the modern Tiānshān 天山, the latter includes modern Kūnlúnshān 昆侖山, A3ěrjīnshān 阿爾金, and Qíliánshān 祁連山.These mountains are already mentioned in the Shiji, Xiongnu liezhuan.

  10. D4àyǔlíng 大庾岭 refers to the mountains on the borders of the modern Jiangxi and Guangdong.

  11. Yīnshān 陰山 refers to the mountains in the central part of the modern Inner Mongolia. Mentioned already in the Shiji.

  12. Qínlíng 秦岭 is a mountain range dividing the northern and southern parts of China. It is also a water-shed dividing the drainage areas of the Weì 渭, Huái 淮, and Hàn 漢 rivers. It spreads from the borders of the Qinghai and Gansu to the central part of Henan. This range includes important mountains, such as Mínshān 岷山, Huàshān 華山, and Sǒngshān 嵩山. Qínlíng 秦岭 in the narrow sense refers to the part of the range in the modern Shaanxi.

  13. Yānshān 燕山 refers to the mountains on the northern edge of the Hebei plains.

  14. Wǔyíshān 武夷山 is the name of the mountains on the borders of the modern Jiangxi and Fujian provinces. The earliest references I have found are post-Han.

  15. Taìhéngshān 太行山 refers to the mountain range on the borders of the modern Henan, Shanxi, and Hebei. In the south, it reaches to the Huanghe. The name already occurs in the texts of the Warring States period [YUGONG chapter in the SHANGSHU].

  16. Kūnlúnshān 昆侖山 is the name of the mountains on the borders of the modern Xinjiang and Tibet. It runs from the east to the west in the length of 2500 km. It is already referred to in the texts of the Warring states and Han periods [SHANHAIJING, HUAINANZI, MU TIANZI ZHUAN].

  17. Tiānshān 天山 are mountains in the central part of the modern Xinjiang. The name already occurs in the SHANHAIJING and HANSHU.

  18. Jǐuzǐshān 九子山 is an ancient name of the Jiǔhuáshān 九華山 in the modern Qingyang county of the Anhui province. The latter name was in use since the Tang.

  19. Dàbāshān 大巴山 refers to the mountains on the borders of the modern Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, and Hubei.

  20. Yàndàngshān 雁蕩山 are the mountains in the southeastern part of the modern Zhejiang province.

  21. Wūshān 巫山 is located on the borders of the modern Sichuan and Hubei. The Changjiang flows through its central part, creating famous Three gorges.

  22. Jūnshān 君山 is the mountain in the center of the Dongting lake, modern Hunan province. Also called Dòngtíngshān 洞庭山.

  23. Běimáng 北邙 is the mountain range in the modern Henan. Also called Mángshān 芒山, Běishān 北山.It runs from Sanmenxia in the West to the bank of the Yīluò river in the East. Since the Eastern Han, princes and high officers were buried on its slopes north to the Luoyang.

  24. Běigùshān 北固山 is the mountain in the northeastern part of the modern city of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.

  25. Wúshān 吳山 is name of the three important mountains.

  a. In the north of the Pinglu county, Shanxi province. According to HOUHANSHU, on the peak of it, there there was located the city of Yǔ 麌.

  b. To the south-east of the Xihu lake in the Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province. In the Chunqiu period, it was the western border of the state of Wú, hence the name.

  c. In the southwestern part of the Long county, Shaanxi province. According to ERYA, it was one of the Five sacred mountains, 五岳.

  26. Dìngjūnshān 定軍山 is located in the southeatern part of the modern Mian county, Shaanxi province. In 219 A.D., near these mountains, army of Liu Bei defeated one of the Cao Caos generals.

  27. Fúniúshān 伏牛山 is ancient name for the Jīnshān 金山, northwest to the modern city of Zhenjiang in the Jiangsu province. The latter name came to be used in the Tang. Also called Huófú 獲箙, Fúyù 浮玉 mountains.　

  28. Jiāoshān 焦山 is located to the northeast of the modern city of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.

  29. Tài sh1an 泰山 is the most important of the Five sacred mountains. It was also called Dōngyuè 東岳, Daìzōng 岱宗, Daìshān 岱山, Daìyuè 岱岳, Taìyuè 泰岳. It is located in the central part of the modern Shandong province. The mountain range runs from the eastern margin of the Dōngpíng 東平 lake in the northwestern direction to the modern Linbo city. It is about 200 km long. Since antiquity, Chinese rulers sacrificed on the Tài sh1an. The earliest evidence is in SHIJING.

  30. Huàshān 華山 is the westernmost of the Five sacred peaks, henceforth it was also called Xīyuè 西岳. It is located in the southern part of the modern Yin county, Shaanxi province. Its height is 1997 m.

  31. Héng shān �琱 sis the northernmost of the Five sacred peaks, henceforth it was also called Běiyuè 北岳.From the Han to the Ming, the sacred Héng shān �琱 swas located in the northwestern part of the modern Quyang county of the Hebei province.

  32. Héng shān 衡山 is the southernmost of the Five sacred mountains, and is also called Nányuè 南岳. It is located in the modern Hengshan county in the Hunan province, and is 1290 m high, and several hundred km long. It is refered to already in SHANGSHU, SHUN DIAN.　

  33. Sōng shān 嵩山 is the central of the Five sacred peaks, and it was also called Sōngyuè 嵩岳. It belongs to the Fúniúshān 伏牛山 mountain range, and is located in the modern Dengfeng county in the Henan province. It is already mentioned in the SHIJING.

  34. Niúzhǔshān 牛渚山 is the name of the mountains on the bank of the Changjiang in the northwestern part of the modern Dangtu county, Anhui province.

  35. Bāgōngshān 八公山 are the mountains in the western part of the modern city of Huainan, Anhui province. It is located west of the Féishuǐ 淝水, and south of the Huáishǔi 淮水. In 383 A.D. famous battle of Feishui took place close to this mountain.

  36. Jiǔyíshān 九疑山, also called Cāngyǔshān 蒼木吾山, are the mountains in the modern Ningyuan county in the Hunan province. According to the Shiji, the sage emperor Shun died and was buried there.

  37. Chìchéngshān 赤城山 are the mountains in the northwestern part of the modern Tiantai, Zhejiang province. First mentioned in the Jin dynasty.

  38. Lúshān 盧山 are the mountains in the southern part of the modern Jiujiang town, Jiangxi province. Also called Kuāngshān 匡山, Kuānglú 匡盧, Nánzhàng4shān 南障山. The name is already mentioned in the Han times. It is said that both Emperor Yu and First emperor climbed the mountains when travelling to the South.

  39. Sh3ouyángshān 首陽山 are the mountains in the southern part of the modern Yongji county, Shanxi province. According to the tradition (for the first time mentioned in the LUNYU), it was in these mountains, where Boyi and Shuqi lived in hermitage. The mountains are already referred to in the SHIJING.

  40. E2méishān 峨嵋山 is the name of the mountains in the southwestern part of the modern Emei county, Sichuan province. It is already mentioned in the HUAYANG GUOZHI of the Jin dynasty. It belongs to the four famous mountains of buddhism.

  41. Qīngchéngshān 青城山 are the mountains in the southwestern part of the modern Guan county, Sichuan province. According to the tradition, it was there where in the Han times Zhang Daoling practiced dao.

  42. Luófúshān 羅浮山 are the mountains on the north bank of the Dōngjiāng 東江 river in the modern Guangdong province. According to the tradition, during the Eastern Jin dynasty, Ge Hong practiced dao there.

Word relations
• Object: (JADE)服/WEAR Fú 服 (ant. xiè 卸 "take off") refers to dressing up for an official occasion. 1 Attribution
• Epithet: (JADE)人/HUMAN The dominant term is rén 人 which refers to any human. 1 Attribution
• Epithet: (JADE)美 / 媄 / 媺/BEAUTIFUL The general word is měi 美 "handsome and admirable" (ant. è 惡 "ugly") which refers to anything concrete or abstract which is attractive or handsome in a dignified way, and the word often retains its primary culinary sense of "tasty". [GENERAL], [GRADED]; [[COMMON]] 1 Attribution
• Epithet: (JADE)寶/PRECIOUS The current general word for objective preciousness and real high value and importance is bǎo 寶 (ant. zhuì 贅 "trifles"), and this word often has abstract figurative meanings "what one treasures as most important in one's life". 1 Attribution
• Epithet: (JADE)璞/JADE1 Attribution
• Epithet: (JADE)青/BLUE1 Attribution
• Epithet: (JADE)几/TABLE Most general word for the table is jǐ 几. According to the character, its main characteristic was crooked legs. The word refers to two different pieces of furniture, both possessing this feature: 1) to the small and very narrow table made usually of wood or bamboo and used for relying one's body on when sitting (or, more precisely, kneeling); this was put behind one's left side or in front of him, 2) to the low table broader than previous, which was used to put something on. In relation to the latter meaning, the term can be also used as a general term for the different kinds of tables. 1 Attribution
• Contrast: (JADE)石/STONE The general word for a stone is shí 石. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (JADE)磬/STONE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Qìng 磬 refers to the musical instrument made of stone which was suspended on the wooden construction (usually in a set) and beaten with a wooden stick. This kind of instrument came to use already in the 3rd millenium B.C. Qìng 磬 was together with bells and drums the core instrument of ritual musical assemblages, and it is quite often found in aristocratic tombs dating from the Shang to the Warring States period (most remarkable being an assemblage of 32 pieces from the grave of Marquis Yi of Zeng who died in 433 B.C.). By Han times it was already rare. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (JADE)珠/PEARL The standard word for a rounded pearl is zhū 珠. 3 Attributions
• Assoc: (JADE)金/GOLD Jīn 金 "metal" is sometimes used as short for huáng jīn 黃金. 5 Attributions