Taxonomy of meanings for 革:　　

  • 革 gé (OC: krɯɯɡ MC: kɯæk) 古核切 入 廣韻：【改也獸皮也兵革也亦姓漢功臣表有煑棗侯革朱 】
    • ARMOUR
      • nhardened leather armour
      • nmadNarmoured with hardened leather
    • BRIDLE
      • nbit, with headgear
      • vtoNput the bridle on
    • CHANGE
      • vtoNto change by way of elimination or exclusion (perhaps originally by removing the hair off the skin, or by flaying); avert; to change and replace without formal authority; undergo an unexpected change; make a formally unlicenced change
      • vtoNpassivebe changed
      • vt(oN)change (the contextually determinate N) for something better
      • vtoNchange by authorityCH
    • INTENSELY
      • vichange to the bad> extreme (of illness)
    • LEATHER
      • nmleather; hide, often with fur removed
      • nmadNleather-armoured
    • DISCARD
      • DISMISS
        • WARN
          • CAUTIOUS
            • CARRIAGE
              • BAG
                • MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
                • HEXAGRAMS
                  • PULSE
                    • WING
                      • SURNAMES

                        Additional information about 革

                        說文解字: 【革】，獸皮治去其毛革更之。象古文革之形。凡革之屬皆从革。 【古覈切】 【𠦶】，古文革。从三十，三十年爲一世而道更也。𦥑聲。 〔小徐本「三十」作「卅」。〕

                          Criteria
                        • SKIN

                          1. The general word is pí 皮 which refers to all aspects of the skin, typically skin of animals with its natural fur.

                          2. The word fú 膚 refers primarily to human skin, and the surface as such, the surface including the tissue below is jī 肌 (and pí 皮 in its non-general specific use).

                          3. Gé 革 refers to animal hide. See LEATHER

                        • LEATHER

                          1. The general word for leather or hide with fur removed is gé 革.

                          2. Wéi 韋 refers to softened leather.

                          3. Kuò 鞹 refers very specifically to the the leather of animals after all fur has been removed.

                        • CHANGE

                          1. The most current general words for objective and typically abrupt change are biàn 變 "change FROM one's original state to become something different" (ant. héng 恆 "remain constant").

                          2. Huà 化 (ant. cháng 常 "remain constant") refers to irreversible change INTO a fundamentally new state, while retaining one's identity".

                          3. Gǎi 改 refers to a deliberate change brought about at a certain point in time, typically in order to improve a situation. See IMPROVE

                          4. Gēng 更 is an act of deliberately changing something, typically by replacing it by an improved version of the same kind of thing in order to insure continuity.

                          5. Gé 革 (ant. yīn 因 "continue the tradition") refers to a typically unlicenced act of replacing the old by something new.

                          6. Yì 易 refers prototypically to a change construed as brought about by a process of interchange and (often mutual) replacement.

                          7. Dòng 動 refers to change construed as the moving from a previous stable state.

                          8. Xǐ 徙 refers to making the object moved unstable.

                          9. Yí 移 refers to a change in a current situation so as to effect a certain development in a desired direction.

                          10. Yú 渝 is to change a current situation or an object, generally to the worse, and the word is remarkably often negated.

                          11. Qiān 遷 (ant. 滯 "stay put in one place, unable to move") refers typically to change of one's current condition brought about by oneself.

                          12. Fǎn 反 refers to a change resulting in the reverting to one's original state. See RETURN vt.fig

                          13. Zhuǎn 轉 refers to change typically construed as part of a cycle of changes.

                          Word relations
                        • Assoc: (ARMOUR)兵/WEAPON Bīng 兵 refers to warfare as a military practice rather than as a political means to achieve ends, and it is significant that the word has no obvious antonym.
                        • Assoc: (LEATHER)木/TIMBER Mù 木 is frequently used adjectivally to designate something as made of timber.
                        • Assoc: (LEATHER)皮/SKIN The general word is pí 皮 which refers to all aspects of the skin, typically skin of animals with its natural fur.
                        • Assoc: (CHANGE)更/CHANGE Gēng 更 is an act of deliberately changing something, typically by replacing it by an improved version of the same kind of thing in order to insure continuity.