Taxonomy of meanings for 攀:  

  • 攀 pān (OC: phraan MC: pʰɯan) 普班切 平 廣韻:【引也普班切三 】
    • ASCEND
      • vt(oN)pull oneself up (by clinging to a heavy object) and climb up
      • vtoNclimb up to with difficulty, typically - but not always - by holding onto something as support
    • CRAWL
      • vtoNcrawl upwards, pull oneself upwards
    • PULL
      • IMPLICATE
        • ADHERE
          • QUOTE
            • WRAP
              • PURSUE
                • PLUCK
                  • SPEAK

                    Additional information about 攀

                    說文解字:

                      Criteria
                    • ASCEND

                      [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

                      [[BASIC/DERIVED]]

                      [DIFFICULT/EASY]

                      [ELEVATED/VULGAR]

                      [+FIG/LITERAL]

                      1. Shēng 升 (ant. jiàng 降 "descend") is perhaps the most general word dedicated to the meaning of "going up", and the word often has a literary, dignified flavour.

                      [GENERAL]; [[BASIC]], [[CURRENT]]

                      2. Shàng 上 (ant. xià 下 "descend"), on the basis of the general meaning "above", comes to refer to the moving to the position on top of or above something else, and the word has no elevated literary flavour.

                      [GENERAL]; [[CURRENT]], [[DERIVED]]

                      3. Dēng 登 refers to one entering a vehicle or moving onto a higher surface of any kind, typically (but not always) in a dignified manner.

                      [ELEVATED!]; [[CURRENT+]]

                      4 Pān 攀 refers to an arduous movement across difficult terrain to a higher position, supporting oneself by objects that one can hold on to as one is moving upwards.

                      [DIFFICULT+], [LITERAL]; [[BASIC]], [[CURRENT]]

                      5. Yuán 緣 refers to an often arduous movement in difficult "terrain" and guided by certain features of that terrain.

                      [DIFFICULT]; [[DERIVED]]

                      6. Chéng 乘 refers to the mounting of a vehicle, specifically.

                      [SPECIFIC]; [[CURRENT]]

                      7. Jī 躋 refers to ascending a burial mound as part of ritual.

                      [ARCHAIC], [SPECIFIC]; [[RARE]]

                      8. Zhì 陟 "poetic: scale a mountain" (ant. jiàng 降 "descend") is a rare archaising words with highly restricted usage.

                      [ARCHAIC], [SPECIFIC]; [[RARE]]

                      9. Jí 即 (ant.* xùn 遜 "resign a ruler's position", or perhaps also shàn 禪 "resign the throne") is always metaphorically "ascend (the throne)".

                      [SPECIFIC]; [[CURRENT]], [[DERIVED]]

                    • CRAWL

                      1. The current general word for crawling or creeping is pú fú 匍匐.

                      2. Pān 攀 and yuán 緣 refer to crawling upwards.

                      3. Shé xíng 蛇行 is occasionally used as an idiom referring to crawling.