Taxonomy of meanings for 當:  

  • dàng (OC: taaŋs MC: tɑŋ) 丁浪切 去 廣韻:【主當又底也亦音蟷 】
  • dāng (OC: taaŋ MC: tɑŋ) 都郎切 平 廣韻:【敵也直也主也值也亦州本羌地周置同昌郡隋改爲嘉城鎮貞觀中改爲當州蓋取燒當羌以名之又姓也都郎切十一 】
    • SHOULD
      • vt[0]+V[0]one should (NOTE THAT MANY ATTRIBUTIONS FROM vt+V[0] HAVE TO BE MOVED HERE.)
      • vt+V[0]should appropriately; be due to, be supposed to; be bound to; must; HANSHU 65: ought to (be caned); deserve to; shouldNOTE THAT MANY OF THESE ATTRIBUTIONS HAVE TO BE MOVED TO vt[0]+V[0]
      • vt+V[0]irrealisshould have V-ed
      • [post-Buddhist:]tense> FUTURE
        • vt+V[0]be about to, be going to (sometimes close to DESIRE)
        • vt+V[0]irrealiswould
        • vt+V[0]pastwas about to (indicating near future in the past)
      • grammaticalised> IMPERATIVE MARKER
        • vt[0]+V[0]must now> imperative marker (many of the instances under SHOULD must be moved here and should have been entered here)
        • immediate> NOW
          • vadNcontemporary, present, of one's own time 當世
          • vtoN.adVwhen in the presence of, when facing
          • th present> THIS
            • vadNthe relevant NCH
          • conditional> WHEN
            • vt0+V.adSwhen V-ing
            • vt0+V0.adSwhile it was V-ing 當暑 [or: vt0+N.adS???]
            • vt0oN.adSwhen it came to, at (such-and-such a time); during
            • vadS1.adS2at the time of S1 happening S2 happenedCH
            • VPadV1.adV2When about to
      • should receive> DESERVE
        • vt+V[0]deserve to (be rewarded or be punished)
        • vtoNdeserve, meritCH
        • vt(oN)merit the contextually determinate (favorable) treatment NCH
        • action> CONFORM
          • vt(oN)be in precise accordance with something contextually determinate, act accordingly
          • vtoN.adVbeing in an exact fit with, being in precise accordance with
          • vtoNconform to, correspond to, be in accordance with
          • vt+prep+Nfit intoCH
          • mutually> EQUAL
            • nan equal, a match
            • vtoNfit exactly; match (with somebody)
            • vtoNpassiveto be matched; be faced successfully
            • to a price> COST
              • vtoNstativebe worth, fetch (a certain amount of money, or some standard amount of money equivalent)
          • causative> CONTROL
            • vtoNtake care of; take responsibility for
            • systematically> GOVERN
              • vtoNbe in charge of (punishments and like); take charge of, take responsibility for (duties that need to be performed)
            • prohibitive> BLOCK
              • vt(oN)stand in the way of the contextually determinate N
              • vtoN.adVblocking N to V
              • vtoNface in a hostile way
          • place or time> BE IN
            • vtoN.adVtimeon, at
            • move> APPROACH
              • vt0oN.adSwhen it came to the time of
              • vtoNcome to approach, come to face, come to be faced with 
              • vt0oN.adSwhen it comes to the subject/topic NCH
            • towards> DIRECTION
              • vtoNface towards
              • vtoN.adVV facing NDS
          • to a feature or role> COPULA
            • vt+V[0]questioncopula marking subsequent interrogative sentences referring to the same topic
            • vt+V{NUM}semantically very weak copula-like verb preceding numerals
            • vtoNcopulaplay the role of, be; function as
            • intensitive> NECESSITY
              • vt+Sit must be the case that S
              • vt+V[0]will certainly VDS
              • weakened:likely> PROBABLE
                • vt+V[0]be likely to, be due to, be bound to (sometimes expressing rather necessity than probability, especially in predctions: shall)
            • be a guarantee> PAWN
              • npawn
            • act as> ACT
              • vtoNpassivebe performed (of a function or role)LZ
              • serve as employee> WORK
                • viactbe on guard duty (during the night)
            • putative/declarative: believe/declare to be> JUDGE
              • vt+V[0]passiveto be condemned to being V-ed
            • be exposed to> SUFFER
              • vtoNbear the brunt of; face, be exposed to
    • [post-Buddhist:]grammaticalised, euphonic> SUFFIX
      • vpostadVverbal suffix (probably used for disyllabication); sometimes categorized as 'structure word' (結構詞) without any meaning, or as suffix/complement/ auxiliary similar to 著); e.g. 記當, 問當 (BIANWEN); in Tang texts 當 can also be added to copula 為, however, the resulting 為當 is restricted in its function to marking alternative questions
    • da4ng APPROPRIATE
      • v[adN]subjectwhat is apposite; what is adequate
      • vadNadequate, justified; positive
      • vibe appropriate; be to the point; be the right thing in the right place
      • vt[oN]actget things right
      • vtoNactadjust oneself properly to; live up to
      • vtoNmiddle voicebe deemed appropriate and right, be deemed adequate
      • vtoNstativematch; correspond to; fit with;
      • vpostadVappropriately, right (as in 君子注錯之當)LZ
      • nabfeatureappropriateness, adequacyCH
      • vtoNcausativemake N appropriateLZ
      • CORRECT
        • vibe fitting and right, be as it should be
        • nabcorrectness, proprietyLZ
        • TRUE
          • nabmetaphysicaltruth
          • vifit the facts, be true; be correct
          • viof personshave things right, be right
          • vtoNbe true to one's word
          • dàng WHEN
            • vt0+V.adSwhen V-ing
            • vt0+V0.adSwhile it was V-ing 當暑 [or: vt0+N.adS???]
            • vt0oN.adSwhen it came to, at (such-and-such a time); during
            • vadS1.adS2at the time of S1 happening S2 happenedCH
            • VPadV1.adV2When about to
          • putative: BELIEVE
      • da4ng =?? VESSEL PARTS
        • nbottom of a vessel
      • dàng BOTTOM
        • nbottom (of a beaker etc)
      • da1ng =璫 JADE
        • njade ear pendant (sometimes written 當)
      • da3ng =擋 FEND OFF
        • vtoNpassivebe fended off; be withstood
        • action> FIGHT
          • vtoNface in battle; face in battle with hope of success

      Additional information about 當

      說文解字: 【當】,田相値也。从田、尚聲。 【都郎切】

        Criteria
      • CHINESE LANGUAGE

        1. guānhuà 官話 "Mandarin" is obsolete, and its traditional antonym was xiāngyǔ 鄉語 "local speech".

        From Míng Dynasty times, this was a current word for the common vernacular language used by administrative staff of any kind throughout China.

        DC: 明何良俊《四友齋叢說 ‧ 史十一》: " 雅宜不喜作鄉語,每發口必官話。 "

        2. báihuà 白話 "plain speech, vernacular" (as opposed to wényán 文言 )

        This is a modern word referring to an easily accessible written version of the Chinese language. In classical contexts or early vernacular contexts the expression always seems to refer to "empty talk" rather than the vernacular language.

        3. guóyǔ 國語 "national language" (ant. wàiyǔ 外語 ) (pre-1950ies and Taiwan)

        A word that continues to be in increasing common use even in Mainland China today, and which is standard in places like Malaysia or Singapore, as well as in Taiwan.

        4. zhōngguóyǔ 中國語 "language of China" (ant. wàiguóyǔ 外國語 )

        Current Japanese way of writing the Japanese word for the Chinese language, but the expression has a long history in China, the first attested use being in Yáng Xióng's Model Sayings of the first century BC.

        5. pǔtōnghuà 普通話 "common language" (Mainland China) (ant. dìfāngyǔ 地方語, fāngyán 方言 "dialect (not in the ancient meaning)")

        This is a very common modern expression which corresponds to Greek koinē, and the word is always used in counterdistinction to (often mutually incomprehensible) dialects. The word has a rather political flair.

        6. Hànyǔ 漢語 "language of the Hàn people" (should include all dialects, but is often used otherwise)

        This is the most current word for the Chinese language as opposed to other 族語 "national languages". The word is very current in the Buddhist Tripitaka, but it is also attested elsewhere 庾信《奉和法筵應詔》: " 佛影胡人記,經文漢語翻。 ". The term is also attested in 世說新語.

        7. Zhōngguóhuà 中國話 "Chinese speech" (includes all dialects)

        This word is always used in counterdistinction to foreign languages. It has become current in international contexts in nineteenth century novels.

        8. Zhōngwén 中文 "Chinese (typically written) language" (ant. wàiwén 外文, often icludes speech: 會說中文 )

        This word is already attested in the medieval 搜神記, where it refers to the written language. In Modern Standard Chinese this is a very common way of referring to Chinese as opposed to foreign languages, and as a subject in school curricula.

        9. Huáyǔ 華語 "Chinese talk" (used mainly in Singapore, Hong Kong etc.)

        This word has a long history in Buddhist texts, and it is also already attested in 劉知幾《史通 ‧ 言語》: "... 必諱彼夷音,變成華語.

        10. Hànyīn 漢音 "Han-Chinese sounds" refers to the Chinese language in a poetic style. Sanskrit is currently referred to as 梵音.

        HD sub verbo 漢文: 2. 漢語;漢字。南朝梁僧祐《梵漢譯經音義同异記》: " 或善梵義而不了漢音,或明漢文而不曉梵意。 "

        HD: 2. 指漢語。南朝宋朱廣之《咨顧道士<夷夏論>》: " 想茲漢音,流入彼國。 "

        老子漢人也。

        新修科分六學僧傳 R133_p0714a04(02)║

        胡蕃國也。土地不同。則言音亦異。當其化胡成佛之際。為作漢音耶。作蕃音耶。苟以漢音。則蕃國有所不解。以蕃音。則此經之至。宜須翻譯。

        11. Hàn yán 漢言 "Hàn language, language of the Hàn Dynasty> Chinese" (ant. 胡言 or 胡語 ) is a historico-ethnographic term.

        This remained a very common way of referring to the Chinese language long after the Hàn Dynasty, as is clear from the Buddhist Tripitaka. (424 occurrences in CBETA.)

        T25n1512_p0835b29(05)║

        胡言般若波羅蜜。

        漢言智慧彼岸也

        T48n2023_p1095c25(00)║

        志曰。

        佛者。 Buddha

        漢言覺也。 is "the enlightened" in Hàn language"

        將以覺悟群生也。 He will bring enlightenment to the sentient beings.

        12. Wényán 文言 "literary Chinese" (ant. báihuà 白話 "plain vernacular") today refers to a modernised version of traditional classical Chinese, as used for example in letters. But in the Buddhist Tripitaka, for example, the phrase regularly refers to ornate Chinese, ornate formulations. Neither traditionally nor in modern times is 文言 used in counterdistinction to foreign languages: the contrast is with other varieties of Chinese.

        DC: 4. 別於白話的古漢語書面語。蔡元培《在國語傳習所的演說》: " 文言上還有例句,如 ' 爾無我詐,我無爾虞 ' 等。 "

        13. wényánwén 文言文 "literary Chinese writing" (ant. báihuàwén 白話文 ) refers to classical Chinese as it continues to be used in the introductions to books and in formal letter-writing.

        This is a twentieth century word, as far as I can see.

        14. báihuà-wén 白話文 "plain talk writing" (ant. wényánwén 文言文 ) is a term with a strong stylistic nuance.

        This is a twentieth century word.

        15. tōngyòngyǔ 通用語 "general use language".

        This is a twentieth century neologism designed to replace 普通話. The term has never achieved broad use.

        16. dàzhòngyǔ 大眾語 "mass language" is obsolete today.

        This is a politicised ideological concept stressing the universal use and popularity of the Chinese language as advocated by language politicians. It is a twentieth century political neologism.

        17. guówén 國文 "state writing" refers in a formal way to written Chinese.

        This is a twentieth century term mainly used in connection with educational politics.

        HD: 許地山《東野先生》: “ 這不是國文教科書底一課麼? ”

        18. Hàn wén 漢文 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Hàn (typically written) language"

        HD: 2. 漢語;漢字。南朝梁僧祐《梵漢譯經音義同异記》: " 或善梵義而不了漢音,或明漢文而不曉梵意。 "

        19. Zhōngguó wénzì 中國文字 "the Chinese (written) language"

        T49n2036_p0477a06(03)║ 

        中國文字未通。蓋不可知也。

        R110_p0542b01(05)║

        偈語原必有韻譯以中國文字。則無可協。

        R110_p0542b09(00)║

        流入東土後。以中國文字經為尊稱。故亦稱經。

        20. Huá yán 華言 is an obsolete traditional term for Chinese that comes over 1200 times in Taisho Tripitaka.

        R150_p0541a 13(00)║

        剌麻者。乃西域之尊稱。

        譯華言為無上二字。

        R149_p0695a 12(00)║

        梵語阿修羅。亦云阿素洛。

        又云阿須倫。

        華言非天。

        R149_p0718b05(03)║

        梵語袈裟華言壞色衣。

        21. dōngtǔ Huáxiàyán 東土華夏言 "Chinese language in the eastern regions" is an ad hoc periphrastic expression which one might insist was never lexicalised, but it is perhaps worth recording just as well, if only in order to

        R059_p0119b04(00)║

        梵語。西天梵國語也。

        華言。東土華夏言也。

        譯者翻也。

        謂翻梵天之語。轉成漢地之言也。

        22. Hàn'ér yányǔ 漢兒言語 "Hàn language" is a term that is current in Korean textbooks of colloquial Chinese, like the famous 老乞大 : “ 你是高麗人,卻怎麼漢兒言語說的好。 ” See also the article in 太田辰夫《漢語史通考 · 關於漢兒言語》

        23. Jìn wén 晉文 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Jìn (typically written) language" is fairly rare, but clear examples are easily found:

        T50n2059_p0326c12(02)║

        還歸中夏。

        自燉煌至長安。

        沿路傳譯寫為晉文。

        24. Jìn yán 晉言 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Language of the Jìn" is common indeed, but many examples can be read technically as "in Jìn this translates as". Not however in this example:

        於龜茲國金華祠。

        T14n0434_p0105ā6(01)║ 

        演出此經。譯梵音為晉言。

        T33n1693_p0001ā7(01)║

        斯經似安世高譯。為晉言也。 (punctuation probably wrong!)

        25. Jìn yǔ 晉語 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Speech of the Jìn"

        T50n2059_p0329ā2(00)║

        手執梵文口宣晉語。

        T55n2145_p0072b24(03)║

        先誦本文。

        然後乃譯為晉語。

        26. Jìn yīn 晉音 "Jìn Dynasty speech"

        T14n0434_p0105á1(00)║

        沙門慧海者。通龜茲語。

        善解晉音。

        林復命使譯龜茲語為晉音。

        T50n2060_p0634á6(02)║

        外國語云阿耨菩提。

        晉音翻之無上大道。

        27. Qín yán 秦言 "Qín language> Chinese" is the standard way of providing Chinese translations for Sanskrit words in the Buddhist Tripitaka. (No less than 1132 examples in CBETA, but mostly formulaic, as in the following examples.)

        答曰。摩訶秦言大。 "maha is "big"in Chinese"

        T25n1509_p0383á2(03)║

        今問摩訶薩義。摩訶者秦言大。

        28. Qín yǔ 秦語 "Speech of the Qín > Chinese"

        In the Buddhist Tripitaka, this is a very formal term for Chinese, not very common. (Only 22 occurrences in CBETA)

        T26n1543_p0771b02(08)║

        梵本十五千七十二首盧 ( 四十八萬二千五百四言 ) 。

        秦語十九萬五千二百五十言。

        T51n2068_p0053c09(05)║

        什自手執胡經。

        口譯秦語曲從方言而趣不乖本。

        T51n2068_p0054á9(07)║

        什自執梵本口譯秦語。

        T55n2145_p0072b07(28)║

        胡本十五千七十二首盧 ( 四十八萬二千三百四言 ) 秦語十九萬五千二百五十言

        T55n2145_p0073c09(02)║

        胡本一萬一千七百五十二首盧長五字也。

        凡三十七萬六千六十四言也。

        秦語為十六五千九百七十五字。

        29. Táng wén 唐文 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Táng (typically written) language"

        This is the standard way of referring to the written Chinese language in Buddhist texts of the Táng dynasty.

        R130_p0664b06(02)║

        以華言唐文刻釋氏經典

        T39n1797_p0803b21(10)║

        不得梵文依唐文得意亦同。

        T48n2025_p1160a24(08)║

        唐文多對偶當盡翻譯。

        T50n2060_p0614c17(05)║

        有天竺三藏大齎梵本擬譯唐文。

        R024_p0177a16(02)║ 

        語精梵言。

        雖亦兼美唐文。

        乍來恐未盡善。

        30. Táng yán 唐言 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Language of the Táng".

        1523 occurrences in CBETA. Occasionally, one wonders whether this does refer to Táng time Chinese whereas Hànyīn 漢音 does not:

        T20n1177Ap0724c02(01)║

        遂將得舊翻譯唐言漢音經本在寺。

        31. Táng yǔ 唐語 (obsolete, current in Buddhist texts) "Speech of the Táng"

        A fairly rare way of referring to the Chinese language in Táng Buddhist texts. (Only 18 occurrences in CBETA)

        R014_p0563a14(02)║

        印度罽賓皆未詳唐語。

        R036_p0985a16(18)║    

        又多兩重怗文當知初依梵文後釋唐語

        T30n1579_p0283c07(05)║

        三藏法師玄奘。

        敬執梵文譯為唐語。

        32. Táng yīn 唐音 "Táng speech" is a regular expression for Táng Dynasty Chinese in the Buddhist Tripitaka.

        R036_p0584b13600)

        梵語本是兩名唐音無以甄別

        R066_p0717b08(01)║

        此偈乃是梵語訛言。

        傳者將為唐音正字。

        33. Tánghuà 唐話 "Táng talk" is a current Cantonese term for Chinese, and the famous intellectual 許地山 writes: 他說的雖是唐話,但是語格和腔調全是不對的。 But in this phrase, I am instructed by my teacher and friend Jiǎng Shàoyú, Táng refers not to the dynasty but to 唐山.

        34. Dà Táng yǔ 大唐語 "Speech of the Great Táng Dynasty" is rarely attested, but the word does exist:

        R150_p1055b17(00)║

        若僧雖是新羅人。却會大唐語。 Monk Ruò was a person from Xīnluó, but he spoke the language of the Great Táng Dynasty.

        35. Hàn 漢 is an abbreviation for Hànyǔ 漢語 currently used in Buddhist translation theory, but the word is not in itself a term for the Chinese language outside such technical contexts.

        T21n1293_p0378c15(02)║ 

        翻梵為漢 Translate the Sanskrit into Chinese.

        R068_p0353b05(05)║

        梵是天竺之言。

        漢是此土之語。

        R133_p0623b09(07)║

        序以條列梵漢旨義。

        R005_p0007b03(02)║

        翻譯之家自有規准。 The specialists in translation have their own standards.

        若名梵漢共有。 If a term exists both in Sanskrit and in Chinese

        則敵對而翻。 than they just match the terms up in translation.

        36. Táng 唐 "language of the Táng Dynsasty.

        梵唐

        T54n2133Ap1196b12(02)║ 

        一曰義淨撰梵語千字文。

        或名梵唐千字文。

        T55n2176_p1118a01(00)║ 

        梵唐對譯阿彌陀經一卷 ( 仁 )

        This is the same as 梵唐語:

        T55n2176_p1118b20(00)║ 

        梵唐語對註譯大佛頂真言一卷

        T55n2176_p1119c19(18)║

        梵唐對譯法花二十八品

        T55n2176_p1120a05(00)║ 

        梵唐對譯金剛般若經二卷

        T55n2176_p1131a06(00)║ 

        梵唐文字一卷

        37. Jìn 晉 "the language of the Jìn Dynasty.

        The term is rarely used to refer directly to the language, unlike the common Táng 唐. But examples do exist:

        T55n2157_p0795c08(08)║

        既學兼梵晉故譯義精允。

        38. nèidìhuà 內地話 refers to the language spoken on the Mainland, and the word is mostly used on Taiwan. This term represents an outsider's view on the Chinese language. (2.9 million hits in Google! This important word was brought to my attention by Jens Østergaard Petersen.)

        39. shénzhōu yǔ 神州語 "the language of our divine land" is quaint, nationalistically sentimental, and a rare way of referring to the Chinese language.

        beijing.kijiji.cn/á1221463.html:

        心中一暖,想到他居然會說神州語,正要說些甚麼,但一開口,嘴部動作牽動喉嚨,...

        40. zúyǔ 族語 "the national language (of the Chinese) is a borderline case because the term refers to national languages in general, and only by extension to Chinese in particular.

        42. Hàn dì zhī yán 漢地之言 "language of the Ha4n territory" is a marginal periphrastic expression which one should probably not regard as a lexicalised item. One could study such periphrastic expressions separately from the lexicalised vocabulary.

        R059_p0119b06(06)║

        謂翻梵天之語。轉成漢地之言也。

        [43. jīngpiànzi 京片子 "Chinese as spoken in Peking" is a borderline case because it does refer to Peking speech, but not insofar as it is the standard for the whole of China. Colloquial examples of this sort could be multiplied...]

      • COST

        1. The general word for something having a certain monetary worth or exchange value is dāng 當.

        2. Dé 得 is occasionally used to refer to the exhange value of something.

        NB: Dǐ 抵 and zhí 值 "be worth"is post-Buddhist (QING).

      • FIGHT

        1. The current general word for any form of conflict or competition is zhēng 爭 (ant. ràng 讓 "give polite precedence to"). However, the word specifically focusses on competition rather than physical violence.

        2. Dòu 鬥, ōu 毆 and the rarer bó 搏 (ant. què 卻 "withdraw from conflict") refer to physical interpersonal violence and struggle.

        3. Jìng 競 (ant. tuì 退 "withdraw from conflict") refers to intense competiton.

        4. Shì fēi 是非 refers to a primarily non-physical verbal conflict, but in extended usage it can refer to any political dissension or conflict.

        5. Fèn 奮 refers to a fierce physical strugge, often for a higher aim.

        6. Zhàn 戰 (ant. hé 和 "make peace; hold the peace") normally refers to armed conflict (see BATTLE) but the word can occasionally refer to an inner struggle in one's chest: zwei Seelen wohnen, ach, in meiner Brust.

        NB: Dāng 當 can refer to facing an opponent in battle, and the word is marginal in this group.

      • COPULA

        1. Classical Chinese had several common copulas at an early stage: wéi 維 / 唯 / 惟 (ant. fēi 非 "is not") was common in SHI and SHU, but discontinued later.

        2. The final particle yě 也 is interpreted by some as a sentence-final copula, but it is properly regarded as a sentential particle marking non-narrative modes of predication.

        3. The standard copula in Warring States Chinese is wéi 為, which tends to have human subjects and is by no means as common in Chinese as the copula is in Western languages.

        4. Yuē 曰 is current as a copula in listings of items and the like.

        5. Yún 云 is a rare archaising copula in ZUO.

        6. Zé 則 is copula-like after contrastive subjects.

        7. Nǎi 乃 is copula-like and contrastive and stresses that the subject is none other than the predicate.

        8. Dāng 當 "act as, fulfill the function of" is copula-like, but there is only a slight degree of grammaticalisation in the direction of a copula.

        9. Wèi 謂 "be counted as, count as" sometimes moves in the direction of copula-like uses.

        10. Shì 是 is a resumptive demonstrative pronoun which on very rare occasions can come to function very much as a copula.

        11. Zhòng 中 has some copula-like uses in GUAN, when the word means "amount to, cost" and sometimes even stands before ordinary nominal predicates.

        12. Yǐ 以 "as a SUBJECT" functions quite regularly as a subordinate copula in classical Chinese.

      • BOTTOM

        1. The current word for the bottom of a vessel is dǎng 當.

        2. Dǐ 底 is a Han dynasty dialect word for the bottom of a vessel.

      • TRUE

        1. The most current word is rán 然 "it is so" (ant. fǒu 否 "be untrue"), and what is said to be so is a yán 言 "statement', and things are claimed to be as stated in that statement.

        2. Kě 可 refers to logical or ethical acceptability.

        3. Xìn 信 (ant. zhà 詐 "fraudulent and not reliable") refers prototypically to reliablity as information.

        4. Shì 是 (ant. fēi 非 "wrong") refers prototypically to what invites assent or approval.

        5. Zhēn 真 (ant. jiǎ 假 "fake") typically refers to what contains nothing faked or unreal and is genuinely true.

        6. Dāng 當 (ant. guò 過 "wrong") refers prototypically to what fits the facts and does not deviate.

        7. Yǒu 有 (ant. wú 無 "there is no such fact")refers abstractly to the occurrence of an event or the truth of an abstract proposition.

        8. Chéng 誠 (ant. wěi 偽 "faked") refers to honest truth. (Note that chéng 誠 normally means "earnest" in early texts and has nothing to do with this meaning.)

        9. Shí 實 "real and true" (ant. xū 虛 "only apparently") refers to something not being a figment of the imagination. See REAL.

      • APPROPRIATE

        [DYNAMIC/STATIC]

        [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

        [LASTING/TRANSITORY]

        [OBJECTIVE/SUBJECTIVE]

        1. The current general word for appropriateness of any kind is yí 宜 (ant.* fáng 妨 "contravene standards, be inappropriate").

        [GENERAL]

        2. Kě 可 refers primarily to what is subjectively or interpersonally-subjectively i.e. socially acceptable.

        [SUBJECTIVE]

        3. Shì 是 (ant. fēi 非 "what does not deserve intellectual or moral approval") refers primarily to what is right and deserving of intellectual and/or moral approval.

        [MORAL]

        4. Shì 適 and dàng 當 (both ant. guāi 乖 "in conflict with certain prevailing circumstances") refer to what is objectively fitting in certain circumstances.

        [OBJECTIVE], [TRANSITORY]

        5. Shùn 順 (ant. nì 逆 "in conflict with the natural flow of events") refers to action that fits naturally and painlessly into a certain flow of events or into a certain constellation.

        [DYNAMIC]

        6. Qí 其 is a modal particle indicating weakly and abstractly that something should probably be done or happen. The word is thus marginal in this group. See SHOULD

        [padV]

      • WHEN

        1. The current general word for "when" is the pre-sentential bì 比.

        2. Jí 及 and zhì 至 is somewhat less grammaticalised and works like "when things got to the point when".

        3. Dāng 當 "during the period when" refers both to very short and quite periods of time.

        4. Qí 其 "when" really only serves to mark a general subordinating particle which occasionally comes to be translatable by "when".

        5. Yě 也 is frequently used at the end of sentences to form temporal subordinate clauses which provide background, often in conjunction with qí 其.

        NB: Sentence-final shí 時 "at the time when" is very rare in pre-Buddhist texts but becomes ubiquitous in Buddhist literature. The predecessor of this construction "S 之時 " "when S happened" is current in pre-Buddhist texts.

      • DESERVE

        1. The one word that comes close to the meaning of deserve is dāng 當.

      • JUDGE

        1. The general legal term for passing judgement is lùn 論.

        2. Dāng 當 is to sit in judgment of a matter and determine guilt.

        3. Duàn 斷 is the conclusion of the process of legal investigation.

        4. Bào 報 refers to the announcement of the judgment passed.

        5. Lǐ 理 refers to the office of the person who is professionally in charge of passing judgment, the judge.

      • SHOULD

        1. The current general word expressing obligation is dāng 當, and this word focusses on the fact that one is objectively obliged to do something.

        2. Yí 宜 emphasises that what one should do is indeed fitting and proper.

        3. Bù kě bù 不可不 construes obligation as inevitability or inescapablitity.

        4. Bì 必 emphasises obligation as ineluctable and expresses a stronger obligation than bù kě bù 不可不.

        5. Mò rú 莫如 emphasises that some obligation represents the best of several options.

        6. Qí 其 expresses a colourless rather weak obligation to do something.

        7. Kě 可 precedes passivised verbs and expresses the idea that some object should be VERBed. See MUST

      • SUMMIT

        1. The most current general word for the topmost part of anything is probably dǐng 頂 (ant. lù 麓 "foot of mountain", * dāng 當 "bottom").

        2. Diān 顛 / 巔 (ant. xià 下 "foot (of mountain") refers most often to mountain tops, but as the graphic etymology of the original character might lead one to expect, the word can also refer to the crown of the head.

        3. Lóng 隆 (ant. bēi 卑 refers to the highest point of anything but adds the connotation of general venerability.

        4. Jí 極 and zhì 至 "ultimate point" are very abstract words referring, occasionally, to the highest point of concrete objects.

        5. Liáng 梁 refers to the ridge at the top of a mountain range.

        6. Fēng 峰 is a very rare word in pre-Buddhist Chinese and refers to the top of a high mountain.

      • BLOCK

        [[CONGERIES]]; [GENERAL], [SPECIFIC]

        1. Sè 塞 (ant. tōng 通 "be unblocked") is the standard word for blocking the progress of something, or for blocking up an opening, and the word specifically refers to the blocking of things from getting out of something.

        [GENERAL]

        2. Yǎn 掩 is the standard word for blocking visual access to an object.

        [SPECIFIC]

        3. Yōng 壅 (ant. chè 徹 "unblock") refers to blocking things from entering.

        [SPECIFIC]

        4. Dāng 當 refers to a deliberate act of standing in the way of something or ensuring that something cannot proceed in a natural way.

        [SPECIFIC]

        5. Bì 閉 refers to the blocking of something so as to prevent it to get out. See LOCK.

        [SPECIFIC]

        6. Xiàn 限 refers to a border as blocking access. See BORDER

        Word relations
      • Subject: (TRUE)言/SENTENCE Yán 言 refers to a public statement or a publicised saying.
      • Ant: (APPROPRIATE)狂/CRAZY
      • Epithet: (TRUE)言/PROVERB Yán 言 refers to bon-mots, proverbs and sayings of any kind, including attributed maxims by philosophers and the like.
      • Contrast: (APPROPRIATE)宜/APPROPRIATE The current general word for appropriateness of any kind is yí 宜 (ant.* fáng 妨 "contravene standards, be inappropriate"). [GENERAL]
      • Contrast: (GOVERN)行/ACT The current general word for any deliberate action one may be held morally and/or administratively responsible for is xíng 行 (ant. zhǐ 止 "decide not to take action"). The nominal entries have the old reading xìng. [COMMENDATORY!], [GENERAL], [HABITUAL], [RESPONSIBLE]
      • Assoc: (SHOULD)須/SHOULD
      • Assoc: (BE IN)今/NOW The current word for the present is jīn 今. Note 趙歧on Mencius: 孟子傷今時之君 "of his time, contemporary".
      • Synon: (SHOULD)宜/SHOULD Yí 宜 emphasises that what one should do is indeed fitting and proper.
      • Synon: (DIRECTION)向/DIRECTION
      • Synon: (FUTURE)欲/FUTURE Yù 欲 comes to be used as a neutral indicator of the likely future so that we are not likely to find bì yù 必欲 ever coming to mean "will surely, will necessarily".