Taxonomy of meanings for 淵:　　

  • 淵 yuān (OC: qʷiin MC: ʔʷen) 烏玄切 平 廣韻：【古文𠝃 】廣韻：【深也管子曰水岀而不流曰淵又姓丗本有齊大夫淵湫烏玄切十 】
    • ABYSS
      • nsubjectdeep abyss, canyon, chasm, gorge
      • nadVanalogylike an abyss, like a deep pond
      • npost=Nprthe Abyss N 羽淵 "the Yǔ abyss"
      • generalised: geographical>LAKE
        • n{PLACE}adVin the deep lakes
        • nvery deep pool; deep pond
        • content>WATER
          • nmopen-air water (?) (Nothing relevant in DZD or DCD)
      • feature>DEEP
        • vadNdeep
        • vi.redbe very deep
        • vifigurative(poetic) abysmally deep, profound
        • abstract>MYSTERIOUS
          • specific>SOURCE
            • nfeeding source
            • nabmetaphysicaldeep source for something
      • =鼘ONOMATOPOETICA
        • SURNAMES

          Additional information about 淵

          說文解字: 【淵】，回水也。从水、象形，左右岸也，中象水皃。 〔小徐本「象」上有「𣶒」，「皃」作「也」。〕 【烏玄切】 【 𣶒 】、淵或省水。 【囦(𡇋)】，古文从囗、水。 〔小徐本作「古文淵從囗。」〕

            Criteria
          • DEEP

            1. The dominant current general word for anything deep in any sense is shēn 深 (ant. qiǎn 淺 "shallow"). Depth is shèn 深.

            2. Yuān 淵 is a poetic word for depth, and the meaning derives from the ordinary reference of the word to a deep pool or even an abyss.

          • SOURCE

            1. The current general term for a concrete water source feeding any river or stream is quán 泉, and the current general term for a source feeding a lake of any kind is yuān 淵.

            2. Yuán 源 / 原 refers to an original source, and this word is rich in metaphysical or abstract connotation. See BEGIN

          • LAKE

            1. The current general word for a lake of any shape or kind is hú 湖, but that term does exclude the ocean.

            2.. Yuān 淵 refers to a very deep pool.

            3. Zé 澤 refers to a large natural lake (and also to the marshy landscape around such a lake).

            4. Hǎi 海 can, from Han times onwards, come to refer to large lakes.

            5. Tán 潭 is a small but rather deep (typically natural) pool.

            8. Shǔ 藪 refers to a large shallow lake rich in water plants.

          • ABYSS

            [POETIC/PROSAIC]

            1. The general poetic word for a deep and threatening watery abyss is yuān 淵.

            [POETIC]

            2. Tán 潭 is also refers to a deep and threatening watery abyss.

            3. Huò 壑 can refer to a steep deep valley or abyss. The distinction with VALLEY is often unclear.

            [PROSAIC]

            Word relations
          • Ant: (ABYSS)山/MOUNTAIN The general term for a mountain of any kind, large or small, is shān 山.
          • Epithet: (LAKE)深 / 深/DEEP The dominant current general word for anything deep in any sense is shēn 深 (ant. qiǎn 淺"shallow").
          • Epithet: (ABYSS)洶/BUBBLE