Additional information about 芬
說文解字: 【㞣】，艸初生其香分布。从屮、从分，分亦聲。 〔小徐本作「分」上無「从」。〕 【撫文切】 【芬】，芬或从艸。 〔小徐本「芬」作「㞣」。〕
- Criteria
- FRAGRANT
1. Xiāng 香 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking") is orginally the scent of grain, and the meaning of the word was generalised to refer to any pleasant smell, especially also that of foodstuffs. NB: chòu 臭 is often neutral in classical Chinese and can refer to pleasant as well as unpleasant smells. However, there are cases where the word clearly describes something as evil-smelling and not only refers to what actually happens to be an evil smell.
2. The general poetic term for fragrance of flowers or grasses is fāng 芳 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking"), and the word never refers to the fragrance of any artefact.
3. Xūn 薰 refers to an almost pungent strong fragrance.
4. Fēn 芬 is a rare rather colourless term for attractive smell.
5. Xīng 馨 refers to a striking fragrance speading far and wide.
- Word relations
- Assoc: (FRAGRANT)香/FRAGRANT
Xiāng 香 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking") is orginally the scent of grain, and the meaning of the word was generalised to refer to any pleasant smell, especially also that of foodstuffs. NB: chòu 臭 is often neutral in classical Chinese and can refer to pleasant as well as unpleasant smells. However, there are cases where the word clearly describes something as evil-smelling and not only refers to what actually happens to be an evil smell.