Taxonomy of meanings for 風:　　

Additional information about 風

說文解字: 【風】，八風也。東方曰明庶風，東南曰清明風，南方曰景風，西南曰涼風，西方曰閶闔風，西北曰不周風，北方曰廣莫風，東北曰融風。風動蟲生，故蟲八日而化。从虫、凡聲。凡風之屬皆从風。 【方戎切】 【𠙊】，古文風。

Criteria
• AIR
  

  [ABSTRACT/CONCRETE]

  [COMMON/RARE]

  [GENERAL/SPECIALISED]

  [IMMOBILE/MOBILE]

  1. Fēng 風 "wind" is primarily air-in-motion, but does sometimes seems to refer to what we would call "air", as in ZHUANG 1.

  CONCRETE, [MOBILE!]; [[COMMON]]

  2. Qì 氣 "ether" is typically more abstract than English "air" and refers to constitutive energies underlying both air and wind as well as fog, dew, rivers, mountains and so on. The word is also the standard word for "breath".

  [ABSTRACT]; [[COMMON]]

  3. Fēn 氛 usually refers to vapour as manifestation of auspicious or inauspicious occurrences, and the word is marginal in this series.

  [SPECIALISED]; [[RARE]]

  NB: The abstract notion of "air" as such is not currently focussed on in early Chinese literature.

• MUSIC
  

  1. The current general term for music, including dance, is yuè 樂.

  2. Yīn 音 "tone, tones" is sometimes used by poetic extension to refer generally to music.

  3. Shēng 聲 "sound" is sometimes used to refer specifically to folkways of music.

  4. Qǔ 曲 refers to a piece of folk poetry set to music, but the word is also sometimes used in a generalised sense to refer to a tune as such. See SONG.

  5. Fēng 風 refers to folk tunes, typically associated with folk poetry.

• TEACH
  

  1. The current general word for training, instructing, and disciplining others is jiào 教 (ant. xué 學 "study") and the standard main aim of jiào 教 is unquestioning obedience, professional skill, and intellectual conformity to the standard set by the teacher, and the word connotes use of authority and sometimes even coercion. The primary aim of jiào 教 is action conforming to a standard, and the word is commonly nominalised.

  2. Huì 誨 (ant. xí 習 "study persistently") refers to systematic and persistent efforts to teach and inculcate intellectual or practical skills ( 誨之琴 "taught him to play the zither") and moral understanding of students ( 誨女知之 "I will teach you so you understand"), and the word never implies coercion or any threat of force. Huì 誨 can be mutual, or refer to equals teaching equals, even subordinates teaching superiors 諫誨 "remonstrate with and instruct". The word is not commonly nominalised. The primary aim of huì 誨 is understanding.

  3. Huà 化 refers to successful disciplining and teaching, typically on a large social scale. See INFLUENCE

  4. Qǐ 啟 and fā 發 refer to the opening up of new intellectual and moral dimensions for others.

  5. Xùn 訓 refers in a rather abstract way to formal strict instruction and training aimed primarily at professional skill.

  6. Zhào 詔 refers to instruction by means of useful information or warning.

  7. Fēng 風 is occasionally used to refer to teaching by example.

  8. Liàn 練 refers specifically to military training and only occasionally to other forms of drill.

  9. Dào 道 refers to the content of what is taught, and is largely restricted to postnominal position, as in 儒道 "Confucian teaching".

• RAIN
  

  1. The general word for rain of any kind is yǔ 雨.

  2. Lín 霖 refers to a lengthy period of rain or abundant rains of any kind..

  3. Fēng yǔ 風雨 refers to a rainstorm.

  4. Léi yǔ 雷雨 refers to a thunderstorm.

• SONG
  

  1. The current general word for a song with or without accompanying music of any kind is gē 歌.

  2. Shī 詩 refers to a regularly rhymed song with a generally regular number of syllables per line.

  3. Fēng 風 refers to a folk song with a given melody.

  4. Fù 賦 refers originally to any narrative or descriptive song in early texts but came to refer to the genre of rhyme prose.

  5. Yáo 謠 refers to a folksong, mostly in ancient texts to a children's ditty, with a more or less fixed melody, but the focus seems to be on the text and there is no accompanying music involved.

  6. O!u 謳 is a dialect word (state of Qi) referring to popular work-songs with a more or less fixed melody.

  7. Yín 吟 is occasionally used, from late Han and Three Kingdoms times onwards, as a noun and refers to a popular song.

• WEATHER
  

  There is no commonly used general concept for the weather in pre-Buddhist Chinese. The closest we come is perhaps qì 氣 as in ZUO 天有六氣, but consider the whole passage:

  天有六氣， (In the same way) there are six heavenly influences,

  降生五味， which descend and produce the five tastes,

  發為五色， go forth in the five colours,

  徵為五聲。 and are verified in the five notes;

  淫生六疾。 but when they are in excess, they produce the six diseases.

  六氣曰陰、陽、風、雨、晦、明也， Those six influences are denominated the yin, the yang, wind, rain, obscurity, and brightness.

  分為四時， In their separation, they form the four seasons;

  序為五節， in their order, they form the five (elementary) terms.

  過則為菑： When any of them is in excess, there ensues calamity.

  陰淫寒疾， An excess of the yin leads to diseases of the cold;

  陽淫熱疾， of the yang, to diseases of heat;

  風淫末疾， of wind, to diseases of the extremities;

  雨淫腹疾， of rain, to diseases of the belly;

  晦淫惑疾， of obscurity, to diseases of delusion;

  明淫心疾。 of brightness to diseases of the mind.

• MYTHICAL ANIMALS
  

  1. Sìlíng 四靈 is a general term for four supernational creatures: dragon lóng 龍, tiger hǔ 虎, phoenix fènghuáng 風凰, and turtle guī 龜. The main source for names of various mythical creatures is the SHJ, with its splendid illustrations.

  2. Lóng 龍 is the most divine of all mythical animals. The dragon brings a happiness and good fortune, and an emperor is viewed as its embodiment.

  3. Jiāo 蛟 is a flood dragon, a mythical creature capable of invoking storms and floods. Also written 鮫.

  4. Shé 蛇 (snake) was worshipped in ancient times. The supernational creature of the north, xuánwǔ 玄武 is depicted as a turtle with a snake, and creators of humankind, Fúxī 伏羲 and Nǚwā 女媧 have both snake tails. The dragon was often viewed as a kind of snake.

  5. Guī 龜 (turtle) is one of the four supernatural creatures. It symbolizes a longevity and good fortune. The turtle was often used in divination and sacrifices, and its images appears as a base of the stelae.

  6. Fènghuáng 風凰 (phoenix) is one of the four supernatural creations, the most elevated of all birds. It symbolizes happiness, good omen, and peace.

  7. Qílín 麒麟 (mythical unicorn) is one of the four supernatural creations. It is a symbol of an extreme humanity of a king or emperor, as well as good fortune and a peace.

  8. Bìxié 辟邪 is a mythical animal resembling a deer with two long horns and a long tail which can expel evil influences.

• INFLUENCE
  

  1. There is no current general word for influence, and the closest one gets to the notion is probably huà 化 "transform through one's influence".

  2. Fēng 風 refers to transformation through one's influence, and this is a very literary word.

  3. Jí 及 occasionally comes to refer to the impact something has on something else.

  4. Zhèn 振 refers to a deep and strong physical impact.

  5. Shī 施 occasionally comes to refer to a deliberate impact one has on other things.

• WIND
  

  1. The dominant word for wind is fēng 風.

  2. Piāo 飄 and the rare biāo 飆 refer to whirlwind, and the word is also written with two characters as 扶搖.

  3. Mái 霾 refers to a violent storm blowing as a sandstorm, or as a rainstorm.

• CUSTOM
  

  1. The current general word for current (but changeable) customs and habits at all levels of society, indluding the highest echelons of society is fēng 風. There is a current connotation that what are current fēng 風 are at least partly the result of some cultural policy or strategy.

  2. Sú 俗 (and the rarer and much more personal xí 習 ) tend to refer to what is perceived as popular and sometimes even vulgar traditional practices. There is a current conception that the sú 俗 are quintessential in origin and essence, but in spite of this they are conceived of as changeable in principle.

  3. Lǐ 禮 "ritual practice" refers to customary behaviour that is in accordance with the demands of ritual propriety. See RITUAL

• ACT
  

  [AD-HOC/SYSTEMATIC]

  [AIMLESS/PURPOSEFUL]

  [ARTIFICIAL/NATURAL]

  [BASE/NOBLE]

  [BASIC/MARGINAL]

  [COMMENDATORY/DEROGATORY]

  [CONATIVE/PERFECTIVE]

  [DELIBERATE/INVOLUNTARY]

  [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

  [HABITUAL/OCCASIONAL]

  [HUMBLE/NOBLE]

  [PHYSICAL/MENTAL]

  [PRESCRIBED/SPONTANEOUS]

  [PRIVATE/PUBLIC]

  [RESPONSIBLE/UNACCOUNTABLE]

  1. The current general word for any deliberate behaviour one may be held morally and/or administratively responsible for is xíng 行 (ant. zhǐ 止 "decide not to take action"), and this conduct is typically one engaged in on someone else's behalf.

  [COMMENDATORY!], [GENERAL], [HABITUAL], [PHYSICAL], [RESPONSIBLE]

  2. Wéi 為 (ant. wú wéi 無為 "not engage in purposeful and result-orientated self-assertive action") focusses not on the act itself but primarily on the results achieved or aimed for.

  [OCCASIONAL], [PURPOSEFUL]

  3. Jū 居, when used in this meaning, focusses not on the results of one's actions, or on the effect of one's actions on others, but on the moral character of one's behaviour as such.

  [HABITUAL], [RESPONSIBLE], [SYSTEMATIC]

  4. Shì 事 (ant.* xián 閒 "take it easy") primarily focusses on action as part of the fulfilment of a duty imposed by one's station in life or a task one has set oneself.

  [PRESCRIBED], [PUBLIC!], [RESPONSIBLE]

  5. Gōng 躬 (ant.* shǐ rén 使人 "get others to...") focusses on a person of considerable social status engaging personally in a (typically public) action. See SELF.

  [MARGINAL], [NOBLE], [OCCASIONAL], [PUBLIC!]

  6. Wěi 偽 (ant. tiān 天 "natural") refers to artificial or faked human action. See PRETEND.

  [ARTIFICIAL], [DEROGATORY!]

  7. Dòng 動 (ant. jìng 靜 "decide to remain inactive") typically refers to spontaneous purposeful action and focusses almost philosophically on the autonomous decision of the agent to act.

  [OCCASIONAL], [DELIBERATE]

  8. Zuò 作 (ant. xí 息 "fail to take the initiative, fail to become active") refers to the taking of an initiative for an action which would not have occurred without such a deliberate initiative, and the word is naturally associated with the notion of creativity.

  SPONTANEOUS, OCCASIONAL, PERFECTIVE

  9. Jǔ 舉 refers specifically to the undertaking of a well-considered major act, particularly as part of a political strategy.

  [DELIBERATE], [PURPOSEFUL], [RESPONSIBLE]

  NB: Fēng 風 refers rather generally and abstractly to a person's or a group's way or pattern of behaviour, and the word is usually used as a noun. See CUSTOM

  10. Jiā 加 typically refers to action insofar as it affects others.

  11. Xí 習 refers to the habitual repeated practice of something in order to achieve proficiency in the kind of action concerned.

• COLD
  

  1. The standard current word referring to coldness is hán 寒 (ant. wēn 溫, rè 熱 "warm").

  2. Lěng 冷 refers to anything fresh and cool rather than rè 熱 "unpleasantly hot".

  3. Dòng 凍 describes a very high degree of coldness, typically below the freezing point of water.

  4. Liáng 涼 (ant. wēn 溫 "lukewarm") describes a mild form of coldness, prototypically that of a cool breeze liáng fēng 涼風.

  5. Qīng 清 (ant. rù 溽 "unpleasantly humid and warm") describes a mild, fresh coolness of climate rather than of liquids or solids.

• MAD
  

  1. The most general word referring to anything insane or mad is kuáng 狂 (ant. ???: no notion of normality present). Importantly, this word also refers to inspired "madness" in the Greek sense of mainesthai "be raving" which is often used of inspired poets or thinkers. See CRAZY.

  2. Clinical lunacy or mental derangement is rarely referred to, but sometimes diān 顛 seems used to refer to this state..

  3. Stupidity bordering on insanity is chī 癡 (ant. mǐn 敏 "highly sensitive and clever").

  4. Utter confusion of mind bordering on insanity is sometimes referred to by the word huò 惑 (ant. míng 明 "be clear of mind, see things clearly"). See CONFUSED.

  Fēng 瘋 is post-Buddhist, although there are a few cases in which one suspects that 風 may be used to write 瘋.

• MOUNTAINS
  

  8. Qí shān 岐山 is located in the northeast of the modern Qishan district, Shaanxi province. It was also called Tiān zhǔ shān 天柱山 Fēnghuángduī4 風凰堆. Ancient Zhou centers were located close to this mountain. For this reason, Qí shān 岐山 is mentioned already in the Shijing.

  9. Qíliánshān 祁連山 is another name for Tiānshān 天山. This mountain range is located in the southern and western part of the modern Xinjiang. It is divided into two groups - the northern in the central Xinjiang, and the southern in the southern Xinjiang. The former is identical with the modern Tiānshān 天山, the latter includes modern Kūnlúnshān 昆侖山, A3ěrjīnshān 阿爾金, and Qíliánshān 祁連山.These mountains are already mentioned in the Shiji, Xiongnu liezhuan.

  10. D4àyǔlíng 大庾岭 refers to the mountains on the borders of the modern Jiangxi and Guangdong.

  11. Yīnshān 陰山 refers to the mountains in the central part of the modern Inner Mongolia. Mentioned already in the Shiji.

  12. Qínlíng 秦岭 is a mountain range dividing the northern and southern parts of China. It is also a water-shed dividing the drainage areas of the Weì 渭, Huái 淮, and Hàn 漢 rivers. It spreads from the borders of the Qinghai and Gansu to the central part of Henan. This range includes important mountains, such as Mínshān 岷山, Huàshān 華山, and Sǒngshān 嵩山. Qínlíng 秦岭 in the narrow sense refers to the part of the range in the modern Shaanxi.

  13. Yānshān 燕山 refers to the mountains on the northern edge of the Hebei plains.

  14. Wǔyíshān 武夷山 is the name of the mountains on the borders of the modern Jiangxi and Fujian provinces. The earliest references I have found are post-Han.

  15. Taìhéngshān 太行山 refers to the mountain range on the borders of the modern Henan, Shanxi, and Hebei. In the south, it reaches to the Huanghe. The name already occurs in the texts of the Warring States period [YUGONG chapter in the SHANGSHU].

  16. Kūnlúnshān 昆侖山 is the name of the mountains on the borders of the modern Xinjiang and Tibet. It runs from the east to the west in the length of 2500 km. It is already referred to in the texts of the Warring states and Han periods [SHANHAIJING, HUAINANZI, MU TIANZI ZHUAN].

  17. Tiānshān 天山 are mountains in the central part of the modern Xinjiang. The name already occurs in the SHANHAIJING and HANSHU.

  18. Jǐuzǐshān 九子山 is an ancient name of the Jiǔhuáshān 九華山 in the modern Qingyang county of the Anhui province. The latter name was in use since the Tang.

  19. Dàbāshān 大巴山 refers to the mountains on the borders of the modern Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, and Hubei.

  20. Yàndàngshān 雁蕩山 are the mountains in the southeastern part of the modern Zhejiang province.

  21. Wūshān 巫山 is located on the borders of the modern Sichuan and Hubei. The Changjiang flows through its central part, creating famous Three gorges.

  22. Jūnshān 君山 is the mountain in the center of the Dongting lake, modern Hunan province. Also called Dòngtíngshān 洞庭山.

  23. Běimáng 北邙 is the mountain range in the modern Henan. Also called Mángshān 芒山, Běishān 北山.It runs from Sanmenxia in the West to the bank of the Yīluò river in the East. Since the Eastern Han, princes and high officers were buried on its slopes north to the Luoyang.

  24. Běigùshān 北固山 is the mountain in the northeastern part of the modern city of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.

  25. Wúshān 吳山 is name of the three important mountains.

  a. In the north of the Pinglu county, Shanxi province. According to HOUHANSHU, on the peak of it, there there was located the city of Yǔ 麌.

  b. To the south-east of the Xihu lake in the Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province. In the Chunqiu period, it was the western border of the state of Wú, hence the name.

  c. In the southwestern part of the Long county, Shaanxi province. According to ERYA, it was one of the Five sacred mountains, 五岳.

  26. Dìngjūnshān 定軍山 is located in the southeatern part of the modern Mian county, Shaanxi province. In 219 A.D., near these mountains, army of Liu Bei defeated one of the Cao Caos generals.

  27. Fúniúshān 伏牛山 is ancient name for the Jīnshān 金山, northwest to the modern city of Zhenjiang in the Jiangsu province. The latter name came to be used in the Tang. Also called Huófú 獲箙, Fúyù 浮玉 mountains.　

  28. Jiāoshān 焦山 is located to the northeast of the modern city of Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province.

  29. Tài sh1an 泰山 is the most important of the Five sacred mountains. It was also called Dōngyuè 東岳, Daìzōng 岱宗, Daìshān 岱山, Daìyuè 岱岳, Taìyuè 泰岳. It is located in the central part of the modern Shandong province. The mountain range runs from the eastern margin of the Dōngpíng 東平 lake in the northwestern direction to the modern Linbo city. It is about 200 km long. Since antiquity, Chinese rulers sacrificed on the Tài sh1an. The earliest evidence is in SHIJING.

  30. Huàshān 華山 is the westernmost of the Five sacred peaks, henceforth it was also called Xīyuè 西岳. It is located in the southern part of the modern Yin county, Shaanxi province. Its height is 1997 m.

  31. Héng shān �琱 sis the northernmost of the Five sacred peaks, henceforth it was also called Běiyuè 北岳.From the Han to the Ming, the sacred Héng shān �琱 swas located in the northwestern part of the modern Quyang county of the Hebei province.

  32. Héng shān 衡山 is the southernmost of the Five sacred mountains, and is also called Nányuè 南岳. It is located in the modern Hengshan county in the Hunan province, and is 1290 m high, and several hundred km long. It is refered to already in SHANGSHU, SHUN DIAN.　

  33. Sōng shān 嵩山 is the central of the Five sacred peaks, and it was also called Sōngyuè 嵩岳. It belongs to the Fúniúshān 伏牛山 mountain range, and is located in the modern Dengfeng county in the Henan province. It is already mentioned in the SHIJING.

  34. Niúzhǔshān 牛渚山 is the name of the mountains on the bank of the Changjiang in the northwestern part of the modern Dangtu county, Anhui province.

  35. Bāgōngshān 八公山 are the mountains in the western part of the modern city of Huainan, Anhui province. It is located west of the Féishuǐ 淝水, and south of the Huáishǔi 淮水. In 383 A.D. famous battle of Feishui took place close to this mountain.

  36. Jiǔyíshān 九疑山, also called Cāngyǔshān 蒼木吾山, are the mountains in the modern Ningyuan county in the Hunan province. According to the Shiji, the sage emperor Shun died and was buried there.

  37. Chìchéngshān 赤城山 are the mountains in the northwestern part of the modern Tiantai, Zhejiang province. First mentioned in the Jin dynasty.

  38. Lúshān 盧山 are the mountains in the southern part of the modern Jiujiang town, Jiangxi province. Also called Kuāngshān 匡山, Kuānglú 匡盧, Nánzhàng4shān 南障山. The name is already mentioned in the Han times. It is said that both Emperor Yu and First emperor climbed the mountains when travelling to the South.

  39. Sh3ouyángshān 首陽山 are the mountains in the southern part of the modern Yongji county, Shanxi province. According to the tradition (for the first time mentioned in the LUNYU), it was in these mountains, where Boyi and Shuqi lived in hermitage. The mountains are already referred to in the SHIJING.

  40. E2méishān 峨嵋山 is the name of the mountains in the southwestern part of the modern Emei county, Sichuan province. It is already mentioned in the HUAYANG GUOZHI of the Jin dynasty. It belongs to the four famous mountains of buddhism.

  41. Qīngchéngshān 青城山 are the mountains in the southwestern part of the modern Guan county, Sichuan province. According to the tradition, it was there where in the Han times Zhang Daoling practiced dao.

  42. Luófúshān 羅浮山 are the mountains on the north bank of the Dōngjiāng 東江 river in the modern Guangdong province. According to the tradition, during the Eastern Jin dynasty, Ge Hong practiced dao there.

• BLOW
  

  [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

  1. The standard word is chuī 吹 (opp. xī 吸 "breathe in") and this word can have human, animal as well natural subjects, and the word can also refer to the playing of wind instruments.

  [GENERAL]

  2. Fēng 風 can very occasionally be used verbally for the wind's "action" of blowing.

  [SPECIFIC]

Word relations
• Epithet: (WIND)涼/COLD Liáng 涼 (ant. wēn 溫 "lukewarm") describes a mild form of coldness, prototypically that of a cool breeze liáng fēng 涼風. 2 Attributions
• Epithet: (WIND)春/SEASON2 Attributions
• Epithet: (WIND)飄/QUICK Piāo 飄 refers specifically to the speed of wind. 1 Attribution
• Contrast: (WIND)氣/AIR Qì 氣 "ether" is typically more abstract than English "air" and refers to constitutive energies underlying both air and wind as well as fog, dew, rivers, mountains and so on. The word is also the standard word for "breath". [ABSTRACT]; [[COMMON]] 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (WIND)雷/THUNDER1 Attribution
• Assoc: (WIND)雨/RAIN The general word for rain of any kind is yǔ 雨. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (STORM)雨/RAIN1 Attribution
• Assoc: (CUSTOM)/1 Attribution
• Synon: (CUSTOM)俗/CUSTOM Sú 俗 (and the rarer and much more personal xí 習) tend to refer to what is perceived as popular and sometimes even vulgar traditional practices. There is a current conception that the sú 俗 are quintessential in origin and essence, but in spite of this they are conceived of as changeable in principle.