Taxonomy of meanings for 翁:　　

  • 翁 wēng (OC: qlooŋ MC: ʔuŋ) 烏紅切 平 廣韻：【老稱也亦鳥頸毛又姓漢書貨殖傳有翁伯販脂而傾縣邑烏紅切八 】

    Additional information about 翁

    說文解字: 【翁】，頸毛也。从羽、公聲。 【鳥紅切】

      Criteria
    • WIFE

      1. The most general term for a commoner's female mate is fù 婦 (ant. fū 夫 "husband").

      2. Qī 妻 (ant. fū 夫 "husband") refers to the regular main wife, and specifically to a commoner's main wife.

      3. Nèi 內 refers generically to the harem.

      4. Hòu 后 (ant. wáng 王 "king") refers to a queen. See QUEEN

      5. Shì 室 is a polite circumlocution for a wife.

      6. Aυ 媼 (ant. wēng 翁 "old man") is a general term for a married woman, and the word is marginal in this group because it does not focus on the relationship to the mate.

      7. Fū rén 夫人 is a current phrase for a wife.

    • OLD MAN

      1. Sǒu 叟 (ant. tóng 童 "young boy") and the somewhat rarer zhàng rén 丈人 (ant. hái tí 孩提 "child") refer respectfully to a venerable old man of some status.

      2. Fǔ 父 is a southern dialect word referring to an old man.

      3. Lǎo 老 (ant. yòu 幼 "young person") is a neutral term referring generically to the aged, including men and women.

      4. Wēng 翁 (ant. ér 兒 "young child") refers generally to an old man without suggestions of venerability, but the word became current only in Han times.

    • FATHER

      1. The completely dominant word is fù 父

      2. Kǎo 考 refers to the deceased father, but can also come to refer to a living father in SHU.

      3. Wēng 翁 "old man" is occasionally used, from Han times onwards, to refer periphrastically to one's aged father.

      4. Xiān jūn 先君 is standardly used by a ruler for his deceased father.

    • WOMAN

      1. The current general word for a woman is nu# 女 (ant. nán 男 "male"), and the word can also refer to unmarried women.

      2. Fù 婦 (ant. fū 夫 "married man") refers to a woman who is either married or definitely of marriagable age.

      3. Aυ 媼 and yù 嫗 (ant. wēng 翁 and sōu 叟 "old man") refer to old women.

      4. Bì 婢 (ant. pú 僕 "male of low status") refers to a woman of low social status.

      5. Nu# zǐ 女子 (ant. nán zǐ 男子 "male") can refer to a female child (as well as being an administrative way of referring to - preferably counted - females).