Taxonomy of meanings for 試:　　

  • 試 shì (OC: lʰɯɡs MC: ɕɨ) 式吏切 去 廣韻：【用也式吏切四 】
    • TEST
      • nabacta test
      • vt[oN]test
      • vtoNLY 15.25: put to the test, test out
      • vtoNpassiveLY 9.7: be tried out in office; get put to the test
      • vtt(oN1.)+N2omtest the contextually determinate object with respect to (something)
      • vttoN1.+prep+N2try (something N1) out on (something N2)試諸木土
      • vt(oN)test the contextually determinate N
      • tentatively, taste>EAT
        • vtoNtry the taste of; taste
      • specific>EXAMINATION
        • generalised>TRY
          • vt+V[0]try to, make an effort to
          • vtoNtry (a task etc)
      • grammaticalised: for the time being, tentatively>MEANWHILE

      Additional information about 試

      說文解字: 【試】，用也。从言、式聲。《虞書》曰：明試以功。 【式吏切】

        Criteria
      • TRY

        1. The current general word for trying is shì 試, but the word generally refers to brief attempts rather than a concerted lasting campaign.

        2. Cháng 嘗 "make an attempt at" typically takes nominal objects, and the attempt referred to is typically of a transient kind.

        3. Qiú 求 refers to a sustained attempt to achieve a result.

        NB: There are apparently no nominal uses of any of these words. It will be interesting to find a case of a nominalised "attempt".