Taxonomy of meanings for 磨:
- 磨 mò (OC: maals MC: muɑ) 摸卧切 去 廣韻：【磑也摸卧切又莫禾切四 】
- 磨 mò (OC: maal MC: muɑ) 摸卧切 去 廣韻：【同磨 】
- 磨 mó (OC: maal MC: muɑ) 莫婆切 平 廣韻：【磨礪爾雅曰石謂之磨 】
- GRIND
- vadNdesigned for grinding
- vt(oN)grind the contextually determinate object
- vt[oN]grind grain
- vt[oN]actpolish (one's skills/understanging)
- vtoNgrind
- vtoNfigurativegrind away > (try to) destroy
- RUB
- vt[oN]work/polish stone; grind
- vtoNfile, grind, polish off
- vtoNpassivebe polished
- EMBELLISH
- POLISH
- SHARP
- ENDURE
- STUDY
- TORMENT
- PROBLEM
- DISTURB
- WASTE
- DISAPPEAR
- SURNAMES
- = 麽
- = 摩
- GRIND
Additional information about 磨
說文解字:
- Criteria
- MORTAR
NB: that the discovery in Han times of what is called today the shuǐ mó 水磨 "wet mill" was connected with the development of Toufu. The wet mill was apparently still simply called mó 磨.
- RUB
1. The current general word for rubbing the surface of something is mó 磨.
2. Qǐē 切 adds to the notion of rubbing that of cutting and carving in order to produce smooth surfaces.
3. Fú 拂 is a very mild form of rubbing and wiping.
4. Cuō 磋 is an archaic word referring to the rubbing and polishing of surfaces.
5. Zhuó 琢 refers specifically to the polishing of jade.
6. Wèn 抆 refers specifically to the wiping off of tears.
NB: this is notoriously difficult to separate off from POLISH: perhaps we should collapse these two.]
- GRINDSTONE
1. Ài 磑 refers to the round grindstone revolving on an axle. It is not completely clear whether the implement to which the word refers was used to grind the grain or to remove the husk. It is also not known when round revolving grindstones actually began to be used. The oldest finds dates from the Warrring States period, and in Han times they were already common.
2. Mó 磨 originally referred to the polishing; in Han times the word began to be used for grinding grain and like another term for a grindstone.
3. Lóng 礱 refers to the grindstone for removing husk of the grain.
NB: It is difficult to distinguish the terms which follows below and attribute them to concrete archaeological finds; but it is at least obvious that part of them, particularly lì 礪 and lì 厲 does not fit the definition given above. Round grindstones seems to be no older than the Warring States period (CHEN 1991: 199) and it is highly probable that particularly archaic whetstones described below were quite simple implements like these illustrated in XIANG 1997: pp. 58, fig. 1, 2]
- GRIND
1. The general term for grinding is mó 磨, which can also refer specifically to polishing a surface of something with stone, sand, etc.
2. Yán 研 means to reduce to powder by crushing with a hard instrument.
3. Qiē 切 can refer to the grinding action of one's teeth.
NB: For the entirely separate meaning "grind and sharpen", see under POLISH:
Dǐ 砥 refers to sharpening of an artefact with the small and fine whetstone.
Lì 礪 refers to sharpening of an artefact with the crude type of whetstone.