Taxonomy of meanings for 隘:　　

  • 隘 ài (OC: qreeɡs MC: ʔɯæ) 烏懈切 去 廣韻：【陜也陿也烏懈切六 】
    • DISTRESS
      • vichangebecome distressed (ZUO)
      • nabdistress; troubleCH
    • INACCESSIBLE
      • nnarrow and difficult stretch of road
      • nabstativeinapproachability
      • vadNnarrow and difficult to pass
      • vifigurativeto be inapproachable; to be difficult to communicate with
    • NARROW
      • vadNvery narrow (mostly of roads)
      • vibe very narrow (mostly of roads)
      • v[adN]narrow passage; narrow pass
      • nabfigurativenarrow restrictions, narrow limitationsCH
    • = 阨
  • 隘 ài (OC: qreeɡs MC: ʔɯæ) 烏懈切 去 廣韻：【隘古文 】

    Additional information about 隘

    說文解字: 【𨽴(𨽝)】，𨹟也。从𨺅、𠍳聲。𠍳，籒文嗌字。 〔小徐本無「𠍳，籒文嗌字」五字。〕 【烏懈切】 【隘】，(籒)[篆 〔小徐本作「篆文𨽴從𨸏。」〕

      Criteria
    • INACCESSIBLE

      1. The standard word for inaccessible difficult territory is xiǎn 險.

      2. Zǔ 阻 refers to a point in the terrain where the road is blocked by mountains or rivers and it is impossible to pass.

      3. Xiàn 限 refers in general to natural conditions of inaccessibility.

      4. A4i 隘 refers to a natural narrow passage which is dangerous and difficult to pass.

      5. Sài 塞 refers to being inaccessible from a certain direction.

      6. Gù 固 can refer to a place which is difficult of access in all directions because of natural impediments.

    • NARROW

      1. The current general word for narrowness is xiá 狹 (ant. kuān 寬 "broad") which refers quite generally to the small size of any opening.

      2. Ài 隘 typically, but not always, connotes difficult military access.

      3. Lòu 陋 (ant.* kuò 闊 "in grand style") refers only indirectly to narrowness of a street as an indication of its undistinguished character. The word focusses on this undistinguished character and is quite marginal in this group.