Taxonomy of meanings for 甘:　　

  • 甘 gān (OC: kaam MC: kɑm) 古三切 平 廣韻：【説文作𤮺美也又隴右州本月支國漢匈奴觻得王所居後魏爲張掖郡又改爲州取甘峻山名之界有弱水祁連山上有松栢五木美水茂草冬温夏涼又有仙樹人行山中飢即食之輒飽不得持去平居時亦不可見也又姓武丁臣甘盤之後又漢複姓有甘莊甘士甘先三氏古三切七 】
    • SWEET
      • nsubjectwhat is sweet; sweets
      • vadNsavoury (and probably sweet)
      • vadNfigurativedesirable, pleasant
      • vadVfigurativesweetly; wonderfully
      • vibe savoury (and probably sweet)
      • vtoNbe sweet to (the tongue)
      • vtoNcausativemake sweet and good to eat
      • vifigurativebe figuratively sweet
      • nabfeaturesweetnessLZ
      • generalised> SAVOURY
        • vadNsavoury
        • vigradedbe delicious; be delicate
        • vtoNputativeconsider as sweet, experience as savoury; regard as delicious
        • vadNfigurativesweet to the ear etc
        • vt(oN)putativeexperience a contextually determinate object as savouryLZ
        • find tasty> EAT
          • vt[oN]eat well
          • vtoNsavour, appreciate gastronomically
        • exocentric: sweet dish> FOOD
          • abstract: predilection> PREFER
              • welcome> GOOD
                  • putative> DESIRE
                    • vtoNputativeFIND SAVOURY> appreciate; have a taste for; have a proper sense for; taste with pleasure, enjoy
                  • action> ENJOY
                      • as one enjoys things> RELAX
              • CITIES
                • REGIONS
                  • RIVERS
                  • ｈａｎ１《集韻》胡甘切，平談匣。談部。

                      Additional information about 甘

                      說文解字:

                        Criteria
                      • DESIRE

                        1. The dominant standard word is yù 欲 (ant. fú 弗 "refused to, would not") which refers to any concrete - and typically temporary - intention or desire of any kind, irrespective how strongly motivated it is. 欲戰 "wants to fight".

                        2. Hào 好 (ant.* yàn 厭 "be fed up with VPing") refers to a general strong, and strongly motivated, inclination in favour of something. 好戰 "is fond of warfare".

                        3. Tān 貪 refers to an exaggerated and inapropriate degree of craving something.

                        4. Shì 嗜 (ant. wù 惡 "dislike") refers to a stable and deeply ingrained constant desire for something, often a reprehensible craving.

                        5. Gān 甘 derives its special force from the culinary meaning "have a taste for" and refers to any predilection, typically for material things.

                        6. Shì yù 嗜慾 / 嗜欲 is the abstract technical term for appetitive urges which need to be moderated and kept under control.

                      • SWEET

                        1. The current standard word for sweetness is gān 甘, and the word strongly connotes pleasantness of taste rather than just sugary flavour.

                        2. Tián 甜 is rare and denotes sugary sweet flavour as such.

                      • SAVOURY

                        1. The standard words for something tasting good are the archaic zhǐ 旨 and the current měi 美 (ant.** sè 澀 "not pleasant to the palate").

                        2. Gān 甘 refers primarily to sweetness but is often used for general tastiness of food.

                        3. Xiāng 香 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking and of bad taste") refers primarily to things that smell good, but the word is often used for general tastiness of food.

                        4. Hòu 厚 refers the rich good taste of food.

                        5. Nèn 嫩 refers to food in which unpleasant hardness has been removed during the boiling so that the food is soft and tasty.

                      • EAT

                        1. The general word is shí 食 which refers to any form of taking in food, but the word is probably primarily a noun meaning "food". Cf. 飯疏食 "dine on coarse food".

                        2. Gān 甘 is to enjoy a meal or to enjoy food on a given occasion.

                        3. Rú 茹 is to eat a routine meal in order to still one's hunger.

                        4. Fú 服 ingest or imbibe for a purpose, typical a medical purpose.

                        5. Dàn 啖 is to eat quickly oneself and dàn 啗 is to cause someone to swallow.

                        6. Fàn 飯 is to dine on some basic foodstuff, and the word is secondarily a noun meaning "foodstuff, staple food".

                        7. Cháng 嘗 is to eat something for the purpose of experiencing the taste of it, rather than for the purpose of filling one's stomach.

                        8. Bǎo 飽 refers specifically to eating enough or having eaten enough and is most current as an intransitive verb.

                        9. Yàn 厭 / 饜 refers to eating more than enough is mostly used transitively.

                        10. Cān 餐 is a formal or poetic word referring to the eating of a desirable meal.

                      • BITTER

                        [[COMMON/RARE]]

                        [+FIG/LITERAL]

                        [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

                        [HIGH-DEGREE/LOW-DEGREE]

                        1. The general word for bitterness is kǔ 苦 (ant. gān 甘 "sweet; tasty"), and this word is often metaphorical.

                        [+FIG], [GENERAL]; [[COMMON]]

                        2. Xīn 辛 refers to a more peppery, pungent bitterness, taken to be quite different from kǔ 苦, and the word has few metaphorical uses in pre-Buddhist Chinese.

                        [HIGH-DEGREE], [LITERAL]

                        3. Tú 荼 (ant.* yí 飴 "sweetener") refers to a plant known for its bitterness, and by extension the rare word means "bitter thing". The word is marginal in this group.

                        [SPECIFIC]

                        Word relations
                      • Ant: (DESIRE)憎/HATE Zēng 憎 (ant. ài 愛 "love") is a rather mild and lingering form of resentment directed at a person.
                      • Ant: (SAVOURY)疾/INJURE Jí 疾 refers to the inflicting of typically internal physical harm other than external laceration.
                      • Ant: (SWEET)苦/BITTER The general word for bitterness is kǔ 苦 (ant. gān 甘 "sweet; tasty"), and this word is heavenly laden with metaphorical potentialities.
                      • Object: (DESIRE)酒/LIQUOR
                      • Epithet: (SWEET)臥 / 臥卧/SLEEP Wò 臥 (ant. qǐ 起 "get up") is often used as a very general term referring to any form of sleep or rest whatsoever, but specifically the word does also refer to taking a brief nap, typically leaning on a low table.
                      • Epithet: (SAVOURY)露/DEW The dominant word for dew is lù 露.
                      • Epithet: (SAVOURY)雨/RAIN The general word for rain of any kind is yǔ 雨.
                      • Assoc: (SWEET)甜/SWEET Tián 甜 is rare and denotes sugary sweet flavour as such.
                      • Assoc: (SAVOURY)肥/FAT The current general word for sleekness or obesity is féi 肥 (ant. qū 臞 "emaciated", jí 瘠 "thin") , and it must be noted that the term has positive connotations in ancient China.
                      • Synon: (EAT)食/EAT The general word is shí 食 which refers to any form of taking in food, but the word is probably primarily a noun meaning "food". Cf. 飯疏食 "dine on coarse food".