Taxonomy of meanings for 羨:　　

  • 羨 xiàn (OC: ljans MC: ziɛn) 似面切 去 廣韻：【貪慕又餘也又姓列仙傳有羡門似面切二 】
    • ADMIRE
      • SURPLUS
        • nabstativesurplus 羨不足
        • nmsurplus supplies
        • vadNexcessive
        • viactachieve rich harvest
      • SURPASS
        • vtoNpoetic and elevated in style: excel??
      • ABUNDANT
        • LONG
          • WICKED
            • SURNAMES
            • 羨 yí (OC: lil MC: ji) 以脂切 平 廣韻：【沙羨邑名在江夏岀地理志又羊箭祥面二切 】
            • 羨 yàn (OC: lans MC: jiɛn) 予線切 去 廣韻：【延也進也 】
              • = 延
              • = 埏
            • xiànDESIRE
              • vt+V[0]desire selfishly to V
              • vtoNpoetic and rare: be fond and and at the same time perhaps envious of, crave something impossible to achieve
              • vicontinuativebe full of selfish desireCH
            • xiànENVY
              • vtoNadmire and envy (without negative overtones)
              • vtoNab{S}envy and admire the SUBJECT'S PREDICATING
            • xiànOVERFLOW
              • vt+prep+Nfigurativego beyond one's proper bounds
            • xiànREAP
              • vtoNoccasionally, apparently: reap a good harvest

            Additional information about 羨

            說文解字: 【羨】，貪欲也。 〔小徐本無「也」。〕 从 㳄 、从羑省。羑呼之羑，文王所拘羑里。 【似面切】

              Criteria
            • ENVY

              1. The most current general word for the positive aspects envy is probably xiàn 羨 (ant. dù 妒 "resentful envy"), but this word rarely has negative overtones of dissatisfaction and is often close in meaning to "admiration". See ADMIRE.

              2. The rare usage of the word lián 憐 which normally means "to pity", to mean "envy" has no strong overtones of objective admiration.

              NB: for dù 妒 etc. see HATE and JEALOUS. It is difficult to find a general word for envy as a negative attitude without that element of hatred and resentment in pre-Buddhist China.

            • ADMIRE

              [ACTIVIY/STATE]

              [AESTHETIC/MORAL]

              [ASCENDING/HORIZONTAL/DESCENDING]

              [EMOTIONAL/RATIONAL]

              [HIGH-DEGREE/LOW-DEGREE]

              [MENTAL/OVERT]

              [OBJ=HU/OBJ=NONHU]

              [OBJECTIVE/SUBJECTIVE]

              [OVERT/COVERT]

              [PRIVATE/PUBLIC]

              1. The standard general word for admiration is mù 慕 (ant. bǐ 鄙 "hold in low esteem"), and this word often connotes emulation.

              [ASCENDING], [EMOTIONAL], [OBJ=HU], [STATE], [SUBJECTIVE]

              2. Wàng 望 refers to an intense distant admiration of some heroic or in any way especially elevated figure.

              [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [HIGH-DEGREE], [OBJ=HU], [RATIONAL], [SUBJECTIVE]

              3. Yǎng 仰 (ant.* yì 易 "have no special respect for") refers to a distant veneration of some heroic or in any way especially elevated figure.

              [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [HIGH-DEGREE], [OBJ=HU], [RATIONAL], [SUBJECTIVE]

              4. Shàng 尚 (ant. qīng 輕 "have no special respect for") refers to giving high practical priority to something or someone out of a sense of admiration or appreciation.

              [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [OBJ=HU], [OVERT] [PUBLIC]

              5. Shàng 上 (ant. xià 下 "despise, have no special respect for") refer to giving high practical priority to something out of a sense of admiration or appreciation.

              [ASCENDING], [OBJ=NON-HU], [OBJECTIVE], [OVERT], [PUBLIC]

              6. Yòu 右 (ant. qīng 輕 "have no special respect for") refer to giving high practical priority to something or someone out of a sense of admiration or appreciation.

              [ACTIVITY], [ASCENDING], [OVERT], [PUBLIC]

              7. Měi 美 (ant. è 惡 "find despicable an dislikable") refers to an intense expressly subjective aesthetic or moral appreciation for something as admirable.

              [COVERT], [STATE], [SUBJECTIVE]

              8. Duō 多 (ant. shǎo 少 "feel no respect for") refers to an objective assessment of something as worthy of admiration.

              [COVERT], [OBJECTIVE], [RATIONAL], [STATE]

              9. Xiàn 羨 refers to rather personal and private admiration for something, and this admiration is sometimes mixed with envy.

              [COVERT], [EMOTIONAL], [STATE], [SUBJECTIVE]

            • SURPLUS

              1. The current general word for left-overs or surplus is yú 餘 (ant. quē 缺 "in insufficient supply").

              2. Duō 多 (ant. shǎo 少 "in poor supply") emphasises sheer quantity.

              3. Bǔ 補 (ant. quē 闕 "causing shortage") focusses on something being extra and fulfilling a supplementary function.

              4. Xiàn 羨 is occasionally used to refer to agricultural or other surplus.