Taxonomy of meanings for 持:　　

  • 持 chí (OC: ɡrlɯ MC: ɖɨ) 直之切 平 廣韻：【執持 】
    • HOLD
      • vtoNpassivebe held
      • vtoNcontinuoushold on to
      • vtoNfigurativehold on to, not let go of
      • inchoatieve> TAKE
        • vt(oN)continuoustake along
        • vtoN.adVtake N and V it
        • vtoNinchoativepick up; take
        • and move along> CARRY
          • vt(oN.)adVtaking along the contextually determinte object
          • vtoN.adV(carrying along)> with
          • vtoNhold and carry, take along; carry along; support with one's hands
          • vtoNimperativecarry!
        • grammaticalised: take and> OBJECT MARKER
          • vt(+N.)adVttake the object and V it
          • vtoNab.adVtoNN=abstractobject marker, precursor of 將 and 把 (used in sutra translations (the earliest dating from 2nd cent.) and Buddhist texts (see especially FOBEN XINGJI JING); for examples see SOURCES)
          • vtoN1.adVtoN2object marker, precursor of 將 and 把 (used in sutra translations (the earliest dating from 2nd cent.) and Buddhist texts (see especially FOBEN XINGJI JING); for examples see SOURCES) FOBEN XINGJI JING, T.3/190: 661c15 是故我今持此摩尼置於塔上。
        • with difficultry: CATCH
          • vtoNget hold of, catch (an eel)
          • resultative:take care of> KEEP
            • vt(oN)keep the contextually determinate object N
            • vtoNmaintain and support; continue to have; maintain the existence of; hold on to, keep;
            • vtoNtry to hold on toCH
            • safe> SAFEGUARD
              • vtoNsafeguard, supportLZ
              • so as to deploy for one's purposes> USE
                • vtoN.adVusing N to V
                • vt(oN.)adVusing the contextually determinate N to VDS
      • cognitive>maintain linguistically> SPEAK
        • vtoNmaintain (a claim), take the position that; maintain (a set standard)
        • vtoNpassivebe maintained, be upheld as an intellectual position
      • figurative:hold onto pattern of behaviour> CONFORM
        • vtoNbe committed to; adhere to, conform to
        • politically> SUPPORT
          • vtoNsupport; German: unter die Arme greifen;
          • changing onself> CULTIVATE
            • vtoNpersevere in and cultivate
        • causative: CONSTRAIN
            • pervasive> CONTROL
                • bureaucratic> GOVERN
                  • vtoNmaintain, be in charge of; be in firm control and take good care of
                  • vtoNpassivebe sorted out; be dealt with
        • =恃 RELY ON

          Additional information about 持

          說文解字: 【持】，握也。从手、寺聲。 【直之切】

            Criteria
          • DISCARD

            1. The standard general words for discarding something is qì 棄 (ant. qǔ 取 "choose to retain") and the somewhat rarer juān 捐.

            2. Qù 去 refers to the distancing oneself from something by rejecting it.

            3. Fèi 廢 and the rarer tì 替 (all ant. zhì 置 "establish"!!!! See also no. 4 below.) refer to discarding something one has made use of or has been involved with for some time.

            4. Shì 釋 (ant. liú 留 "keep in employment") and the rarer jiě 解 refer to rejecting the continued use of something.

            5. Wěi 委 and zhì 置 (ant.* zhí 執 "hold onto" or chí 持 "hold onto") refer to putting things aside. See DISREGARD

            6. Shě 捨 / 舍 (ant. qǔ 取 "pick out and choose") refers to letting go of or rejecting something that one might have chosen to retain or use.

            7. Què 卻 (ant. shòu 受 "accept for employment") typically refers to a rejection or discarding of something as useless.

          • HOLD

            1. The most current general and neutral word for holding something in any way concrete or abstract is chí 持 (ant. shī 失 "lose hold of").

            2. Zhí 執 is often inchoative "take hold of", and then comes to mean "hold on to, keep holding" as one goes along.

            3. Cāo 操 refers to holding and holding onto something, often taking it along as one goes along, sometimes wielding it as a weapon.

            4. Bǐng 秉 refers to clasping something firmly, often solemnly with both hands, and sometimes several things so as to hold and keep them together and not to let go.

            5. Jiá 挾 refers specifically to holding something under one's armpit, but the word also has some more generalised uses.

            6. Wò 握 and bǎ 把 are rather dramatic words referring to gripping something and not letting go of it.

            7. Gǒng 拱 refers to holding something politely in both hands.

          • SAFEGUARD

            1. Bǎo 保 (which emphasises safety against dangers or threats) and shǒu 守 (which emphasises good care and the ensuring that something is not lost or impaired) are the two general words for safeguarding things.

            2. Quán 全 refers specifically to keeping a thing in perfect undiminished shape.

            3. Chí 持 refers specifically to supporting something in a vigorous and sound state.

            4. Bì 庇 refers to protection of inferiors by their superiors.

            5. Hù 護 typically refers to protection of superiors by inferiors.

          • CATCH

            1. The common general word is 獲 (ant. shì 釋 "set free") which can refer to the capturing or obtaining of anything that might conceivably try to escape (for dé 得 "obtain what generally does not try to escape capture" see OBTAIN).

            2. Qǔ 取 (ant. shě 捨 "relinguish, reject") is to take control of by force and applies typically to enemy territories or enemy cities in a conflict. See WIN

            3. Chí 持 (ant. shī 失 "lose hold of") refers to the capturing of non-human prey.

            4. Zhi 執 (refers to the capturing of any human and non-human prey. See also ARREST.

            5. Náng 囊 is specifically to capture by the use of a sack or bag.

            6. Guà 絓 refers to catching something on a hook, typically a hook attached to a string.

            7. Wò 握 is specifically to catch and get hold of something with one's bare hands.

            8. Yú 漁 refers very specifically to the catching and killing of fish. [See ANGLE]

            9. Dé 得 "obtain" can sometimes come to refer to catching what is trying to escape capture.

            10. Bǔ 捕 refers to catching animals typically in a habitual or professional way.

            NB: Zhuō 捉 came to mean "catch" in post-Han times.

            Word relations
          • Object: (GOVERN)政/POWER
          • Object: (HOLD)戟/LANCE
          • Contrast: (HOLD)舉/LIFT The most general and the most current word for lifting up anything, in literal as well as figurative senses is jǔ 舉.
          • Contrast: (HOLD)舉/LIFT The most general and the most current word for lifting up anything, in literal as well as figurative senses is jǔ 舉.
          • Synon: (HOLD)把/HOLD Wò 握 and bǎ 把 are rather dramatic words referring to gripping something and not letting go of it.