Taxonomy of meanings for 聖:　　

  • shèng (OC: qhljeŋs MC: ɕiɛŋ) 式正切 去 廣韻：【生也通也聲也風俗通云聖者聲也言聞聲知情故曰聖式正切一 】
    • HERO
      • n{PRED}be a hero
      • ncultural hero; sage
      • n=NprtitleSaint (e.g. Saint Thomas)
      • npost-NsageCH
      • nadNnominal, plural, definiteof the sagesCH
      • nadNadjectivalsagelyCH
      • quality, social> GREAT
        • nadN(made great by the presence of ancient sages>) great, hallowed
        • vibe sacred?, be hallowed
        • Buddhist> SACRED
          • vadNBuddh: sacred, holy
        • moral> GOOD
          • nabmoraloutstanding goodness, exemplary moral excellence
          • vtoNreflexive.自consider oneself as morally supreme and sage-like
          • personal> WISE
            • n.red:adVREDUP: from sage to sage
            • nabfeaturequality of a sage, sagehood; sageliness
            • nabprocessbecoming a sage
            • nabsubjectwhat is sagely > the holy
            • nadN聖王"sagely king": sagely
            • v[adN]sage
            • vadNsagely, sagacious
            • vibe extraordinarily talented; be of superior or supreme intelligence; be sage-like; be a sage
            • vichangebecome a sage
            • vtoNputativeoccasionally: regard as sagely or extraordinarily talented
            • vtoNputative.reflex.自consider oneself a sage (a cardinal sin)
            • polite:paradigmatic case> EMPEROR
              • nadNimperial
            • generalised> SKILLFUL
              • npost-Nexpert of N 草聖 "expert in plants"
              • specific:supernaturally> QUICK
                • nadVat supreme speed

    Additional information about 聖

    說文解字:

      Criteria
    • HERO

      1. The current general term for a person of almost superhuman strength or talent is xióng 雄 (ant. yōng 庸 "ordinary person").

      2. Jié 傑 / 桀 refers to an outstanding hero.

      3. Yīng 英 focusses on the hero as an illustrious figure.

      4. Jùn 俊 focus on the hero as a remarkable figure towering above ordinary man.

      5. Háo 豪 focusses on the hero as possessed of very great strength.

      6. Shèng 聖 (ant. fán 凡 "ordinary person") focusses on the hero as possessed of very great superior creativity and wisdom, and the word is mostly expanded to shèng rén 聖人.

      7. Xián 賢 (ant. bù xiào 不肖 "the incompetent") focusses on the hero as possessed of very unusually high moral, political, and practical talents.

      WENZI, shangli: 智過百人謂之杰，十人謂之豪，千人謂之俊，萬人謂之英。

      HUAINAN, taizu: 故智過萬人者謂之英，千人者謂之俊，百人者謂之豪，十人者謂之杰。

    • WISE

      1. The current general word for wisdom is zhì 智 (ant. yú 愚 "devoid of wisdom") and this may refer to any acquired superior intellectual ability beyond the realm of memorisation or mundane knowledge, the quality which enables one to móu 謀 give good advice..

      2. Shèng 聖 (ant. yōng 庸 "mediocre") refers to supreme sagehood and perfection of character.

      3. Míng 明 (ant. bì 蔽 "beclouded, mentally obfuscated") refers to more cerebral clarity of moral insight and superb perceptiveness.

      4. Cōng 聰 (ant. dùn 鈍 "numb and insensitive") refers to sharp and incisive intelligence, especially in the analyses of what one has learnt and heard.

      5. Huì 慧 can refer to natural profound wisdom and depth of insight, but the word often comes close to referring to natural cunning.

      6. Yǐng 穎 is a rare and archaising word referring to quite extraordinary superb intellectual ability.

      7. Ruì 睿 refers to general astuteness and thoughtfulness.

      Word relations
    • Inconsist: (WISE)多能/TALENT
    • Ant: (WISE)凡/ORDINARY The current general word for "ordinary" is fán 凡 (ant. qí 奇 "remarkable").
    • Ant: (WISE)恆 / 恆恒/ORDINARY
    • Ant: (WISE)惡/WICKED The most current and general word for wickedness is probably è 惡 (ant. shàn 善 "good"), but it must be noted that in early texts the word is more current in the meaning of physical ugliness.
    • Ant: (WISE)愚/STUPID The dominant word is yú 愚 (ant. zhì 智 "clever; wise"), and the word refers to intellectual obtuseness as well as practical ineptitude.
    • Ant: (HERO)不肖/INCOMPETENT The most current and general word for incompetence is bù xiào 不肖 (ant. xián 賢 "distinguished talent").
    • Epithet: (WISE)王/KING The general term for a king of any kind is wáng 王, and in Warring States times this term can refer to all sovereign rulers, even the Son of Heaven.
    • Epithet: (WISE)神/SUPERNATURAL The general and very common term referring to whatever is supernatural or divine in any way, and thus superior to what is ordinarily human or natural, is shén 神.
    • Contrast: (WISE)仁/BENEVOLENCE Rén 仁 (ant. cán 殘 "cruel" and perhaps ant.* rěn 忍 "be callous, unfeeling") which refers to kind-heartedness and deep human sensibility as a constitutive feature of man as a moral being, is the standard word since Confucius. [ETHICAL], [HIGH-DEGREE]
    • Contrast: (WISE)明/INTELLIGENT Míng 明 (ant. àn 闇 "obfuscated in one's mind"), taking its analogy from sharpness of vision, typically refers to clarity of insight at all levels.
    • Contrast: (WISE)智 / 知/WISE The current general word for wisdom is zhì 智 (ant. yú 愚 "devoid of wisdom") and this may refer to any superior intellectual ability beyond the realm of memorisation or mundane knowledge, the quality which enables one to móu 謀 give good advice..
    • Assoc: (WISE)仁/BENEVOLENCE Rén 仁 (ant. cán 殘 "cruel" and perhaps ant.* rěn 忍 "be callous, unfeeling") which refers to kind-heartedness and deep human sensibility as a constitutive feature of man as a moral being, is the standard word since Confucius. [ETHICAL], [HIGH-DEGREE]
    • Assoc: (WISE)賢/EXCELLENT
    • Assoc: (WISE)賢/EXCELLENT
    • Oppos: (WISE)否/NOT