Taxonomy of meanings for 鬣:　　

  • 鬣 liè (OC: rab MC: liɛp) 良涉切 入 廣韻：【須鬣説文曰髮鬣鬣也 】
    • BEARD
      • nGY: long unruly beard (like the mane of a horse) (the word also refers to hair standing on end, according to SHUOWEN)
    • BROOM
      • n(horse's mane used as a) broom
    • FUR
      • nmbristles of a pig
    • MANE
      • nhorse's mane
    • FISH PARTS
      • VOLUME MEASURES
        • PLANT PARTS

          Additional information about 鬣

          說文解字: 【鬣】，髮鬣鬣也。從髟、巤聲。 【良涉切】 【㲱】、鬣或从毛。 〔小徐本無「鬣」。〕 【䝓】、或从豕。

            Criteria
          • BROOM

            1. The current word for the broom, which standardly cooccurs with jī1 箕 "dustpan", is zhǒu 帚.

            2. Liè 鬣 refers specifically to a broom made of the mane of a horse.

            3. Sáo 埽 refers to the process of sweeping something clean, and this process is standardly accompanied by xǐ 灑 / 洒 "sprinkling with water". See SWEEP

            4. Shuā 刷 refers to a broom-like brush, but the word is rare in pre-Han texts. See BRUSH

          • BEARD

            [BASIC/MARGINAL]

            [COMMON/RARE]

            [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

            1. The general word is xū 鬚 referring to all kinds of facial hair, but the word cannot refer to hair on the crown.

            [GENERAL]

            2. Rán 髯 refers to long whiskers (and when substantial constitutes a remarkable thing among a people with little facial hair).

            [SPECIFIC]

            3. Liè 鬣 is primarily the mane of a horse and refers to a beard noted for its length.

            [MARGINAL], [SPECIFIC]; [[RARE]]

            4. Zī 髭 "moustache" was a rare word and a rare thing in ancient China.

            [SPECIFIC]; [[RARE]]

            NB: Hú 鬍 "beard" is post-Buddhist.