Taxonomy of meanings for 竹:　　

Additional information about 竹

說文解字: 【竹】，冬生艸也。象形。下垂者箁箬也。凡竹之屬皆从竹。 【陟玉切】

Criteria
• CHINA
  

  睡虎地秦墓竹簡 1978: 226 臣邦人不安秦主而欲去夏者, 勿許. 何謂夏 ? 欲去親屬是謂夏.

  The words for China have this in common that they do NOT designate any one state. 中國 "the central states" is implicitly plural when it does not refer to the capital city. 諸夏 the various Xià (states)" is explicitly plural. The standard Imperium Romanum has no counterpart in Chinese until very late, unless one admits 天下 "all under Heaven" as a designation for the empire. But 天下 does not define any bounded empire. It remains to be seen exactly when a standard term for China was took shape. Compare the problems of finding a term for the Chinese language.

  Based on 顧頡剛 & 王樹民, “ 夏 ” 和 “ 中國 ”— 祖國古代的稱號, Zhongguo lishi dili luncong, Vol. 1 (Xi'an, 1981), 6-22).

  In the Shu and Shi sections relating to the early Zhou, 區夏 (= 夏區 ), 有夏 and 時夏 (= 是夏 ) refers to the place in which the Zhou established their capital after their conquest of Shang, in contradistinction to Zhou 掇 homeland in the West ( 西土 ) and the close Zhou allies ( 一二邦 ). The Zhou referred to their own domain as 烠 he central city-state � ( 中國 ). Since 中國 in this usage refers to the territory directly governed by the Zhou, it is singular and used in exchange with 京師 and in contradistinction with 四方 and 四國. Other states also referred to their capital regions as 啎什縕 (thus Wu in GY 19.09.01/618); a (perhaps late) variant of this word is 啎尹塹 (Yugong).

  After becoming strong, the states enfeoffed by Zhou asserted the community with the 周 by commencing to refer to themselves as 堔 L �, leading to the plural designation 埣悎 L �, used in contrast with designations like 啈 i 狄�. The distinction between the two groups was viewed as cultural, and its precise reference shifted over time, originally excluding states (like 楚 ) from the community of 諸夏 but later including them, or including them in the beginning, whilst later excluding them (like 秦 ). Some of the non- 諸夏 states were viewed as subservient to 諸夏 states, others as their enemies. The membership of 楚 to the 諸夏 circle was always insecure; it was, so to speak, was"always on probation.

  The 東夏 made up a subdivision of the 諸夏, including states such a 齊 and 魯.

  In parallel with the 堔 L � appellations arose the 埽寊 appellations, 埽寊 on its own and 埣捄寊, and, the two words may well be cognate, the common 埽堮 L �.

  In the Warring States period the cultural distinction gave way to a geographical distinction, and the 中國 states were now the state occupying the Central Plain

• STRING INSTRUMENTS
  

  1. The most current musical instrument in ancient China is the qín 琴﹣ lute which generally had seven strings. This instrument is played with both hands. With one's left hand one holds down the strings while one plucks with one's right hand.

  2. Sè 瑟 refers to a larger instrument than the qín 琴, and the number of strings was standardly 25. The strings were longer and gave a deeper and more sentimental sound. This instrument is also played with both hands, but here both hands are plucking and are able to produce more polyphonic effects.

  3. Zhēng 箏 refers to an instrument very much like a sè 瑟 native to the state of Qín but spread all over China, but the instrument typically has 13 strings. It is played in basically the same way as the sè 瑟, but gives a crisper sound. See illustrations.

  4. Zhú 筑 refers to a 13 string instrument which is not plucked but struck with a small bamboo object called zhú chǐ 竹尺.

  5. Kǒng hóu 箜篌 is a small harp with 25 strings first mentioned in Shǐjì.

• RIBBON
  

  1. Probably most general word for a ribbon is zǔ 組 and it usually refers to the wide and thin ribbon made of silk. Its shape, size and functions are very variable. The word can thus refer to a belt ribbon, strings for use with hats, string used to tie an armour etc.

  2. Xún 紃 refers to the round plaited ribbon which can be used in various ways (on shoes for instance):

  3. Tāo 絛 is a small plaited ribbon which can be used in various ways (to make a shoes lace for instance) similar to xún 紃. The two perhaps differs by value???.

  4. Shòu 綬 refers to the ribbon which was originally used to tie jade pendants to the waistband; in the Han dynasty it was used for tying the seal. In Han times, shòu 綬 was an important marker of the status of its holder, and length and colour of the ribbon varied according to it.

  5. Lún 綸 in Han times refers to the green/blue silk ribbon used by minor officials to tie the seal to the waistband.

  6. Yīng 纓 refers specifically to one of two ribbons used to keep hat straight. The word also refers to the colour ribbon worn by a woman when having reached an age for marriage; it was also used for tying fragrant things.

  7. Hóng 紘 refers to the ribbon used to keep hat; in this case only one ribbon is used.

  8. Yīng ruí 纓 (written like 10.) refers to the ribbon used to keep a hat.

  9. Màn hú 縵胡 refers to the ribbon used to keep a hat which was worn by warriors, and was made of plaint undecorated silk.

  10. Ruí (written like 竹 above and down 豕 with 生 ) refers to the part of the hat ribbon which is hanging down.

  11. Qí 綦 refers to the small ribbon which can be used on shoes.

  12. Zuǎn (written like 算 above and 系 below) refers in SHUOWEN to the red ribbon.

  13. Xǐ 縰 refers to a ribbon used to tie up hair.

• BAMBOO
  

  [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

  1. The standard general current word for bamboo is zhú 竹, and the word usually refers to bamboo that is alive and growing.

  [GENERAL]

  2. Gān 竿 refers to bamboo that has been cut off, and the word typically refers to a bamboo stick, not to young shoots.

  [SPECIFIC]

  3. Miè 篾 is a rare word which refers to thin bamboo skin that has been removed to be used to make baskets, hats etc.

  [SPECIFIC]

  4. Yún 筠 refers to the rind of bamboo which may be still on the bamboo or already removed and prepared for use in the making of baskets or hats. In post-Buddhist times this word can come to refer generally to bamboo.

  [SPECIFIC]

  5. Gān 簳 is a very rare word which refers to slender young bamboo, typically the kind used to make bamboo arrows.

  [SPECIFIC]

  6. Jiǎn 簡 refers to polished bamboo slips used in writing. See WRITING MATERIAL

  [SPECIFIC]

  7. Jiàn 箭 refers to a kind of bamboo which provides suitable matrial for arrow-making.

  [SPECIFIC]

Word relations
• Assoc: (BAMBOO)帛/SILK The general word for any kind of silk cloth it is bó 帛. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (BAMBOO)絲/THREAD1 Attribution