TLS - 漢學文典

Taxonomy of meanings for 致:　　

致 zhì (OC: k-liɡs MC: ʈɯi) 陟利切去廣韻：【至也説文曰送詣也陟利切十五】
- ARRIVE
  - vt(oN)get to the contextually determinate place
  - vt+prep+Nreach as far as
  - vtoNperfectivemanage to reach, manage to get to 致遠"manage to get a long way"
  - vttoN1.+N2causativecause (someone N1) to arrive at or go to (a place N2)
  - vt[oN]= 至, arriveLZ
  - process>
    WALK
    - vtoNinchoativeset out to reach
  - to speaker's place>
    COME
    - vtoNcausativecause to come> attract
    - causative>
      BRING
      
      vtoNbring along, bring
      
      vttoN1.+N2cause to arrive> bring/transport N1 to N2
      
      vttoN1(. prep N2)supply or bring along N1 for the contextually determinate N2CH
    - on the temporal scene>
      HAPPEN
      
      vt0oSit got to the point where S
    - iussive>
      SUMMON
      
      vtoNcausativeCAUSE TO COME> cause to come; cause to rally; summon
      
      vtoNpassivebe made to come, be summoned
      - summon to battle> CHALLENGE
        
        vtoNchallenge to battle 致師
  - abstract，＝至>
    REACH
    - vt+prep+Nfigurativereach the point of (N) 致乎哀
    - vtoNreach (a place, a time, or a standard/level)
    - vtoV[0]reach so as to VCH
    - so as to have>
      OBTAIN
      
      vtoNfigurativereach or obtain
      
      vtoNpassivebe achieved or obtainedCH
      - object obtained> RESULT
        
        vtoNresult in N
    - reaching everything, later=緻>
      DETAILED
      
      vadVin detail, down to every detail
    - reach the point of doing something>
      ACT
      
      vt+V[0]get to the point of V-ing
      
      vtoNimplement fully; carry out fully; enforce completelyCH
      
      vttoN1.+prep+N2fully implement N1 with regard to N2CH
      - causative> CAUSE TO
        
        vtoNbring about
        
        vtt(oN.)+V[0]cause the contextually determinate N to V
        
        vttoN.+V[0]cause someone to go as far s to do something
      - cause to reach as property> GIVE
        
        vtt(oN1.)+N2omhand over, pass on (a gift N1) to a contextually determinate recipient N2; give; confer formally
        
        vtt(oN1.)+N2N2=titleconfer on the determinate N1 (the title of N2)
        
        vttoN1.+N2confer (something N2) on (someone N1)
        
        vttoN1.+prep+N2hand over
        
        vttoN1.+prep+N2figurative"give"
        
        vttoN1(. prep N2)subject high status: bestow N1 on the the contextually determinate N2CH
        
        distant> SEND
        
        vtoNsend and submit
        
        vtoNcausative passive: make N to be sent inLZ
        
        to a superior> HAND UP
        
        vtoNhand up
        
        vtoNfigurativesacrifice on behalf of superiors
        
        vtoNobject=rankhand up ones post to the ruler > resign
        
        vttoN1.+N2hand N1 up to N2; formally convey N1 to N2
      - cause to reach as knowledge> TRANSMIT
        
        vtoNtransmit (an order etc)
        
        vttoN1.+N2derivedundesirable object: inflict N1 on N2CH
        
        vttoN1.+prep+N2N1=gift.N2=recipienttransmit N1 to N2DS
      - cause to reach others as information> EXPRESS
        
        vtoNgive expression to (one's opinion; one's thoughts)
    - aim>
      ACHIEVE
      
      vt[0]oN.postadVto the point of
      
      vt+V[0]get to the stage of V-ing
      
      vtoNpassivebe achieved 可致
      
      vtoNabachieve, manage to bring into existence, lead to; insist on bring to completion, bring to fruition; make the utmost use of
      
      vtoNachieve the full degree of
      - with difficulty> SUCCEED
        
        vt+V[0]get to the stage of V-ing, reach the stage of V-ing; do one's utmost to V
        
        vtoNcausativecause to get to the ultimate point, cause to get to the point of perfect realisation; perform completely what one is trying to do
        
        vtoNcausativecause (oneself) to succeed
        
        feature> EXCELLENT
        
        vibe outstanding, be supreme
        
        abstract: excellent feature, appeal> FEATURE
        
        nabfeatureinteresting feature, appeal 動容多致 "The appearance had much appeal/charm."(cf. 興致）
        
        generalised, =至> EXTREME
        
        vadVextremely
        
        nabextreme pointCH
        
        vtoNcausativeextend to the utmostCH

Additional information about 致

說文解字:

Criteria

ARRIVE

[ACTIVITY/STATE]

[COMMON/RARE]

[DIFFICULT/EASY]

[GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

[PROCESS/RESULT]

1. The general current word is zhì 至, and the word refers to the process of going somewhere with the final result (sometimes achieved with difficulty) of getting there.

[GENERAL]; [COMMON]

2. Dào 到 refers specifically to the reaching of a destination with no recognisable tendency to focus on the difficulty of getting there.

[LITERAL]; [RARE]

3. Jí 及 refers to the point of literal arrival, but the word is in practice often hard to distinguish in meaning from zhì 至.

[LITERAL]; [COMMON]

4. Zhì 致 "reach as far as" sometimes emphasises the difficulty of the task of reaching, but this word too is often hard to distinguish in meaning from 至 as defined above when it means "arrive".

[DIFFICULT!], [PROCESS!]

5. Tōng 通 emphasises the absence of impediments or hindrances in the passage towards a certain place and it refers to the general ability to get through.

[STATE]

6. Dá 達 is the result of tōng 通 "having unimpeded access to" and describes the successful arrival at a destination.

[RESULT]

7. Dǐ 抵 emphasises the arriving as the end of a complete itininerary with a beginning and an end.

[PROCESS]
GIVE

1. The most general word for to give is probably yǔ 與 (ant. qǔ 取 "take away from").

2. Wèi 遺 and wěi 委 refer to any act of giving something to someone in permanence and for keeping.

3. Cì 賜 can refer to an act of charity or to any giving of anything, typically from a person in authority to inferiors.

4. Zèng 贈 refers to formal presents to an inferior from a person in high authority.

5. Yí 貽 is an archaic colourless word for giving something away to someone of one's own volition, and the recipient may be of higher status than oneself.

6. Zhì 致 is to hand over something or to pass something on to someone.

7. Kuì 饋 typicall refers quite specifically to the conferring of a gift of food.

8. Fù 賦 refers to giving something as reward or recompensation to somebody, typically to a person of lower status.

9. Shòu 授 refers to the physical act of handing something over to a recipient.
BEAUTIFUL

[ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

[ACOUSTIC/VISUAL]

[ARTIFICIAL/NATURAL]

[[COMMON/RARE]]

[ELEVATED/VULGAR]

[GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

[HUMAN/NON-HUMAN]

[POETIC/PROSAIC]

1. The general word is měi 美 "handsome and admirable" (ant. è 惡 "ugly") which refers to anything concrete or abstract which is attractive or handsome in a dignified way, and the word often retains its primary culinary sense of "tasty".

[GENERAL], [GRADED]; [[COMMON]]

2. Lì 麗 (ant. sù 素 "unaodorned") is often restricted to physical objects, prototypically to clothes, and emphasises their balanced symmetric beauty, occasionally also - by analogy - the well-aligned symmetric beauty of mountains.

[ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

3. Wén 文 (ant. zhì 質 "merely material") emphasises cultivated external as well as internal elegance as well as traditionalism.

[ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

4. Yǎ 雅 (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") emphasises primarily external elevated elegance.

[ACOUSTIC!], [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED+], [NON-HUMAN]

5. Hǎo 好 "comely, handsome" (ant. chǒu 醜 "ugly") refers indiscriminately to men and women, but the word is sometimes more general and even abstract in application and refers to attractive words or attractive moral qualities.

[HUMAN!], [NATURAL], [VISUAL]

6. Xiù 秀 "of vigorous and imposing beauty" focusses on flourishing and flamboyant beauty in analogy with that of flowers.

[ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [NON-HUMAN], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

7. Huá 華 "of striking and colourful beauty" (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") focusses on flourishing and flamboyant superficial or only apparent beauty, on the analogy analogy with that of flowers.

[ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], NON-HUMAN], [SUPERFICIAL], [VISUAL]

8. Zhuàng 壯 "stately" (ant. ruò 弱 "weak and unsightly") is virile beauty associated with strength and vigour. See STRONG

[NATURAL], [MARGINAL], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

9. Jiā 佳 "of outstanding beauty" (NB: liè 劣 "unremarkable" is the ant. of jiā 佳 "outstanding", and not in the meaning of "outstandingly beautiful") emphasises comparative beauty compared to others in the same group.

[GRADED], [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [POETIC]

10. Dū 都 "urbane and exquisitely beautiful" (ant. bì 鄙 "rustic and inelegant") is a highly poetic word that can only be used in elevated prose.

[ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

11. Yán 妍 "attractive and exquisite (of humans as well as human products)" (ant. chì 蚩 "unattractive") refers to elaborate beauty. See SEXY.

[ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [HUMAN], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

12. Xiū 脩 / 修 "refined moral beauty" refers to moral as well as physical beauty, thus coming close the Greek kalokagathia, but never approaching the latter in importance as a cultural keyword.

<div>[ELEVATED], [ARTIFICIAL]; [[RARE]]</div><div> </div><div>吳蓬，東方審美詞彙集萃，上海文藝出版社，2002 lists the following rough definitions of a variety of terms of aesthetic appreciation by the artist and scholar Wu Peng. Many of these terms express conventional appreciative flattery only. This list does provide one not particularly well-known artist's subjective readings of some basic terms of traditional Chinese aesthetic approbation.</div><div>勃：富有生机之突起。 苍：浓的，毛的，老练的。 沉：沉着不浮，有重量感。 冲：调成和淡之意向。 饬：整顿。 粗：大而不笨者。 淳：清，往往易薄，然而淳是清中滋润之厚。 醇：与淳略同，这醇是提炼后的滋润之厚。 绰：与"约"字合用，即舒而不纵之意。 澹：平静而有幽淡之趣。 淡：与浓艳相对。 宕：放荡不拘。 跌：往往与"宕"字合用，即是起伏明显之状。 端：方正而不出偏，有稳实感。 敦：很实在的，结实的厚。 繁：众而密，有生气。 方：与平正同义。 丰：饱满而充足。 风：审美中之"风"指的是一种气韵格调。 飞：大幅度的流动。 刚：属于阳性的，有正力的，与柔软相对。</div><div>高：俯视一切的、超然得不一般。 工：规矩，不潦草。 孤：自我独立。 古：旧气，更有历史的抗怀千载之迹象。 骨：内在的架子。 犷：是跟"雄悍"接近，在粗中发展开来。 瑰：不单调的美。 乖：不和顺。 憨：近于拙朴而敦实。 酣：厚润四溢。 豪：激动向上之貌，有气魄。 宏：大而有气度。 厚：有沉积的饱和。 华：明亮而艳丽。 环：长久圆融之境。 荒：与"枯简"接近，不修饰。 豁：与开朗接近，然比开朗明显。 恢：宽广有余。 浑：团然一气之象，有朦胧感。 简：经过一番整修的减少。 娇：美得可爱。 警：审美中用此警字，往往指敏锐、颖达。 </div><div>劲：能察觉的力。 精：很到位。 隽：精致而具内涵之美。 娟：秀而婉丽。 崛：高起而突出。 俊：人材杰曲之美。 峻：山高而陡。在书画中是浓而锋利之用笔。 空：有灵气之空白。 枯：干而毛，生的萎缩，然亦是力的显露。 宽：大度而畅朗。 旷：广阔而空灵。 辣：是枯毛爽直的老笔触。 朗：明亮而豁然。 琅：圆而光润。 伦：是同类之意，带有文明意念。 冷：跟"淡"与"静”接近，与浓烈相对。 炼：精到而有功力。 淋：与"漓”往往合用，是无拘束的洒落。 流：明显的动感。 迈：阔而放的超势。 莽：宽广而繁密的，朴直奔放的。 袤：与"古"字合用，即悠长久远之趣。 茂：有生气的繁密。 媚：柔美之趣。 宓：安而静。 明：清晰有亮度。 凝：浓重而不流动。 懦：毫无火气之柔软。 平：一般的，接近于稳。 朴：原始状态，形象较准。 嫖：与"姚"字合用，即动疾之状，而有气势。 奇：不一般。 气：生发的，迎面直扑而来的感觉。 清：是混的相对。其间透出一股朗气。 峭：山之直而险，在书画中是露锋的侧锋用笔，有明显露 尖状态。文章中之峭，是意气直逼。 遒：婉转有致，内力强劲。 虬：与遒类似，但动感较强，弯曲而有力度。 意：诚实谨慎。 儒：代表文人之书卷气。 洒：散落无拘束。 赡：富有与丰实。若与"疏”、"逸”组合即成"澹”或"安"之义。</div><div>骚：审美中之骚字，可引伸为风骚至风流感。 韶：美丽有光泽。 涩：在不爽快的进程中，流露出内力之美。 深：不是浮面的。 神：精与气合。高端的。 生：不成熟，但比成熟有味。 肆：任意放纵。 松：松是灵活自然，是一切技巧之本要。 瘦：与粗笨相对，在审美中的"瘦"，是指细长而精练。 疏：一种稀少秀朗之美。 肃：有立即静穆下来之势。 率：与潦草随便有别，爽快而直接。 邃：深远而悠久。 阅：通达之意。 给：与"宕"合用，是安详舒放之趣。 天:很自然，一片天箱之"天"。 恬：安静而坦然。 挺：直而有生气。 婉：柔和而曲折。 温：是一种暖调与缓和的综合。</div><div>巍：往往与"峨"合用，是高大厚实之趣。 洗：与"炼”合用，即是"精炼"之意，凡物之洁出于洗。 犀：与"利"字合用，即坚利。 熙：光明，和乐。 细：指细而不纤。 娴：文静而雅致。 闲：一种高雅的自由。 萧：疏少有致。 潇：散朗而润泽。 馨：很醇厚的香气。 篁："篁古”是悠远辽阔之意。 雄：强大，有力度，有霸气。 秀：灵巧的，有生气的，美好的显露。 虚：表象空，但并非真空。 雅：文气而不俗。 妍：鲜美而柔性。 严：认真，不马虎。 淹：一种浸沉与精深明达之境。 野：超脱、不规范。 冶：经过一番精致修饰。 逸：悠闲的起伏。</div><div>意：精神倾向。 莹：透明而幽亮。 雍：往往与“容"字合用，有和顺之貌。 幽：静而深。 腴：肥润而饱和。 郁：厚积而有生气。 纤：与"迥"字合用，即弯环回绕之趣。 遹：与"瑰"字合用，即纤迥美丽之趣。 渊：往往与"懿"合用，是深润而悠美之趣。 圆：接近于饱满润滑。 蕴：与"藉"合用，即内涵丰富。 韵：一种余味不尽之趣。 恣：放纵的，无拘束的。 滋：湿润感。 自：出于本性的流露。 质：本体的，实在的。 纵：放逸无拘之状。 拙：接近朴，形不准。 庄：端正之貌。 卓：与“荤"合用，是突出明显之状。 </div><div> </div>
CAUSE TO

1. The current general word for causation is shǐ 使 which can refer to any form of bringing about a process or an action. See also COMMAND and SEND

2. Lìng 令, though primarily used for getting things done by ordering them to be done (see COMMAND) came to be used in Warring States times as a general equivalent for shǐ 使. NB: I have not so far found a neat distinction between these two common words in the group.

3. Qiǎn 遣, fā 發 all refer to causing things to happen by sending a person to bring them about. See also SEND

4. Zhì 致 refers to making others go further in doing something than they normally would.
CHALLENGE

1. There is no obvious, common word for the concept of a challenge in classical Chinese. The only word I have found is zhì 致 when it refers to challenging an army to battle.
ACHIEVE

[EASY/DIFFICULT]

[EXPECTED/UNEXPECTED]

[GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

[IMPORTANT/UNIMPORTANT]

[LARGE-SCALE/SMALL-SCALE]

[MEDIOCRE/ STANDARD/PERFECT]

[NOUN/VERB]

[TRANSIENT/LASTING]

1. The current general word for successful action on one's own behalf or on someone else's behalf is chéng 成 (ant. bài 敗 "fail to achieve; botch up").

[GENERAL], [LARGE-SCALE]; [VERB]

2 The current general word for successfully completed action on one's own behalf or in one's own interest is dé 得 "manage to" (ant. shī 失 "fail in, get wrong" and ant.* bù néng 不能 "not manage to").

[DIFFICULT], [SELFISH], [STANDARD]; [VERB]

3. Zhì 至 refers to successful action on one's own behalf on a very high level.

[DIFFICULT], [PERFECT], [SELFISH]; [VERB]

4. Zhì 致 refers specifically to remarkable successful action, typically on others' behalf.

[ALTRUISTIC], [DIFFICULT]; [VERB]

5. Lì 立 refers to successful action resulting in a lasting objective result of one's efforts.

[ALTRUISTIC], [LARGE-SCALE]; [VERB]

6. Suì 遂 refers to eventual successful completion of something one has planned.

[EXPECTED]; [VERB]

7. Gōng 功 refers to the achievement of something regarded as important to others. See MERIT.

[ALTRUISTIC], [IMPORTANT]; [NOUN]

8. Gōng jì 功跡 refers to achievements as leaving a lasting trace on the future.
BRING

1. The current word for bringing something along with one is lái 來 and this focusses on the presence of the bearer.

2. Zhì 致 is to convey or bring something to any place.

Word relations

Result: (OBTAIN)求/SEEK The current general word for trying to find or get something is qiú 求.
Ant: (SUMMON)去/REMOVE The most general term for removing anything is qù 去.
Ant: (ACHIEVE)除/AVOID Chú 除 refers to the avoidance or removal of something that is perceived as posing a powerful threat. See REMOVE [CAUSATIVE], [DELIBERATE]; [[DERIVED]]
Object: (ACT)法/LAW The current general word for a law, a legal system or any legal provision of any kind is fǎ 法.
Object: (ACHIEVE)法/LAW The current general word for a law, a legal system or any legal provision of any kind is fǎ 法.
Contrast: (ACHIEVE)得/OBTAIN The current general and highly abstract verb for obtaining any form of possession of anything abstract or concrete is dé 得 (ant. shī 失 "lose inadvertently").
Contrast: (OBTAIN)獲/OBTAIN Obtaining something that tries to escape or is otherwise hard to get is huò 獲 (ant. wáng 亡 "miss out on, fail to get").
Contrast: (REACH)達/REACH
Synon: (ACHIEVE)取/OBTAIN Obtaining something through effort and often with an element of choice involved is qǔ 取 (ant. qì 棄 "choose to reject").