Taxonomy of meanings for 防:　　

  • 防 fáng (OC: baŋ MC: bʷiɐŋ) 符方切 平 廣韻：【同防見禮又音方 】
  • 防 fáng (OC: baŋ MC: bʷiɐŋ) 符方切 平 廣韻：【防禦也隄防也 】
  • 防 fàng (OC: baŋs MC: bʷiɐŋ) 符況切 去 廣韻：【守禦也符況切一 】

    Additional information about 防

    說文解字: 【防】，隄也。从𨸏、方聲。 【符方切】 【𨹛(埅)】，防或从土。

      Criteria
    • DEFEND

      1. The standard general word for defending a community is wèi 衛 (ant. gōng 攻 "attack").

      2. The standard word for defending a place is shǒu 守 (ant. gōng 攻 "attack").

      3. Yù 禦 is to hinder attack effectively and successfully. See HINDER

      4. Fáng 防 refers to defending a concrete or abstract thing successfully.

      5. Hàn 扞 / 捍 is to try to resist an outside attack successfully.

      6. Bǎo 保 is to try to ensure the safety of one's place against a threat from outside.

      7. Shù 戍 put up a (not necessarily successful) military defense.

      8. Bèi 備 is to make defensive arrangements.

      9. Yù 豫 is to make defensive arrangements well ahead in time or in good time. [See also PREPARE][CA]

      10. Kàng 亢 typically refers to the mounting of a vigorous and energetic offensive defence against a violent attack.

    • DIKE

      1. The general word for a dike preventing the passage of water is tí 堤 / 隄. Huge water works started in the Warring States period.

      2. Bēi 陂 refers specifically to a dam surrounding a rain water reservoir. [Mentioned already in SHIJING]

      3. Yàn 堰 refers to a low dam.The oldest evidence of the word dates from the Eastern Han period.

      4. Táng 塘 refers to a very large dam constraining the water in a large river or lake. See also POOL. It was also built to protect against sea water.

      5. Fáng 防／坊 refers to protective dikes of varying size; it is mentioned already in SHI.

      6. Tí fáng 隄防 is a current general way of referring to the dams and dikes in the country.

      NB: Bà 壩 is a post-Buddhist term for a dam.

      Word relations
    • Contrast: (DEFEND)備/DEFEND Bèi 備 is to make defensive arrangements.
    • Assoc: (DEFEND)備/DEFEND Bèi 備 is to make defensive arrangements.
    • Assoc: (DIKE)城/CITY WALL Chéng 城 refers to the inner city wall. It was originally built of rammed earth, but during the Han there were also walls built of bricks or stones.
    • Assoc: (HINDER)禁/FORBID The current dominant general word referring to public prohibition is jìn 禁 (ant. quàn 勸 "encourage").