Taxonomy of meanings for 竿:　　

Additional information about 竿

說文解字: 【竿】，竹梃也。从竹、干聲。 【古寒切】

Criteria
• STICK
  

  1. The current general word for a stick of any kind is zhàng 杖.

  2. Chuí 棰 refers to a short, heavy cudgel.

  3. Gān 竿 refers to a light bamboo pole. [The word occurs already in SHIJING where it refers to the fishing pole.

  4. Bàng 棒 refers to a fairly heavy club or cudgel.

  5. Pū 撲 refers generally to a cane used for caning criminals.

  NB: Gùn 棍 (YUAN) is post-Han.

• 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]