Taxonomy of meanings for 遲:
- 遲 chí (OC: rlil MC: ɖɯi) 直尼切 平 廣韻：【徐也乆也緩也亦姓晉湘東太守遲超又虜姓後魏書尉遲氏後改爲尉氏又音稺 】
- chíREMAIN
- viremain in place, stay in place for longCH
Additional information about 遲
說文解字: 【遲】，徐行也。从辵、犀聲。《詩》曰：行道遲遲。 【直尼切】 【𨒈】，遲或从𡰥。 【遟】，籒文遲从屖。 〔小徐本籒文「 【遟】」在「 【𨒈】」之前。〕
- Criteria
- EARLY
1. The current word for early, referring both to periods in one's life and time in the year or the day, is zǎo 早 (ant. wǎn 晚 "late"), but the word often specifically means "too early".
2. Sù 夙 (ant. chí 遲 "late, too late") refers specifically to the early period in one's life.
3. Xiān 先 is relative and refers to the period earlier than something else.
4. Yù 豫／預 refers to a point in time suitably early, earlier than necessary, or earlier than expected.
5. Yāo 夭 refers specifically to prematureness of death.
- QUICK
1. The most current general word for anything that moves at high speed is sù 速 (ant. chí 遲 "so slowly that one becomes late").
2. Jí 疾 (ant. xú 徐 "slowly") typically refers to urgent speedy action of limited duration.
3. Jí 亟 (ant huǎn 緩 "too slowly") refers to maximum speed possible under prevailing circumstances.
4. Jíé 捷 adds to the notion of maximum speed the nuance of deftness and general skill.
5. Piāo 飄 refers specifically to the speed of wind.
6. Xùn 迅 emphasises high speed and abruptness and eruptive violence, often in natural processes.
7. Bù rì 不日 without delay, in a short time, quickly.
NB: Kuài 快 came to mean "quickly" soon after Han times.
- LATE
1. The current general word for lateness is hòu 後 (ant. xiān 先 "earlier"), and this word refers to anything that comes later in time than something else.
2. Yàn 晏 (ant. zǎo 早 "early") refers to a time later that what is acceptable.
3. Wǎn 晚 (ant. zǎo 早 "early") can refer a point in time much later than presupposed, or a time much later than the previous event.
4. Chí 遲 (ant. zǎo 早 "early") refers to a failure to make the speed required of one.
- SLOW
1. The most generally used word for slowness is probably xú 徐 (ant. jí 疾 "fast"), which refers to an indifference on the part of the agent concerning the speed he is making, and the word has no negative connotations, indeed the reference is often to pleasant sauntering slow insouciance.
2. Huǎn 緩 "slowly, at one's own speed" (ant. jí 急 "fast and urgent") tends to suggest a self-indulgent absence of haste which may call for criticism.
3. Chí 遲 (ant. sù 速 "quickly and smoothly") focusses on a reprehensible, often inept, but possibly unavoidable, failure to make proper speed or to arrive in time.
4. Màn 慢 (ant. qǐn 勤 "with polite expediency") is deliberate and deliberately offensive dilatory behaviour; and the word is somewhat marginal in this group.