Taxonomy of meanings for 殃:  

  • 殃 yāng (OC: qaŋ MC: ʔiɐŋ) 於良切 平 廣韻:【同殃 】
  • 殃 yāng (OC: qaŋ MC: ʔiɐŋ) 於良切 平 廣韻:【禍也咎也罰也敗也 】
    • DESTROY
      • vtoNbring disaster to, ruin
      • vtoNpassivebe destroyed; be damaged
      • vtoNreflexive.自destroy (oneself); cause one's own disaster
    • DISASTER
      • nabeventmajor disaster; hardship; misfortune; calamity
      • vibe in the danger of meeting a major disaster; suffer a major disaster
      • nab{PRED}(that) spells disasterCH
      • nabpost-Ndisaster for NLZ
      • nab.post-NN=subjectdisaster sent by NDS
  • yāngINAUSPICIOUS
    • nabinauspicious omenCH
    • nabinauspicious efficacy; malicious influenceDS

Additional information about 殃

說文解字: 【殃】,咎也。从歺、央聲。 【於良切】

    Criteria
  • LUCK

    1. The dominant general word for good fortune is fú 福 (ant. huò 禍 "misfortune"), and the dominant general word for good luck is xìng 幸 (ant. yāng 殃 "misfortune").

    2. Lù 祿 and the rare xiū 休 / 庥 are elevated and archaising words referring to blessings from Heaven.

    3. Zuò 祚 is a very elevated and archaising word referring to blessings from Heaven as given to states or great clans and the like.

    4. Yù 裕 (ant. fá 乏 "shortage sent down by Heaven") is an elevated word referring to abundant blessings from Heaven.

  • PEACEFUL

    1. The dominant general word for peacefulness is ān 安 (wēi 危 "in imminent danger"), but in addition the word also often has considerable philosophical depth and commonly refers to a deep state of unruffled inner serenity in harmony with the outer world.

    2. Píng 平 (ant. luàn 亂 "chaos") is prototypically an unruffled smooth surface, and the word refers to a state of harmonious tranquility, particularly in a community of people.

    3. Níng 寧 (ant. yáng 殃 "a totally disastrous state") refers to a state of affairs, primarily in a community of people, where disturbances have ceased.

    4. Yì 佚 / 逸 (ant. láo 勞 "engaged in exhausting effort") refers to restful peace of mind, typically after effort.

    5. Tián 恬 and dàn 淡 (all ant. dòng dàng 動蕩 "be all over the place) refer to serenity in an individual as cultivated, notoriously, by the Taoists.

    6. Jìng 靜 (ant. zào 躁 "flurried), is a state of mind in which one refuses to be rushed into any action and is fully at ease.

    7. Tài 泰 (all ant. jí 急 "be off balance or in urgent need of something, be in a critical state") and yí 夷 (ant. jīng 驚 "be upset") refers to relaxation, the state of being détendu.

  • DESTROY

    1. The current general word for destruction of any kind is huǐ 毀, and what is destroyed may anything from a toy or a house to a state.

    2. Miè 滅 refers to the physical destruction of cities or states, and the word implies the use of external military force, and typically military resistance.

    3. Pò 破 is always violent destruction of concrete objects of any kind.

    4. Cán 殘 focusses on the reckless attitude shown by the destroyer.

    5. Yāng 殃 focusses on the disaster constituted by destruction, and this word is used mostly nominally.

    6. Suì 碎 focusses on complete smashing into small pieces of what is destroyed.

    7. Huài 壞 and huī 墮 / 隳 are "to be destroyed, to collapse" but the words are also used transitively "cause to be destroyed, cause to collapse".

    8. Wáng 亡 (ant. fù 復 "reestablish") refers to the political/social ruin of a state and does not focus on any form of physical annihilation or damage.

    9. Bài 敗 and zéi 賊 are currently used for the destruction of abstract things such as dé 德 "virtue".

  • DISASTER

    1. The most common general word for disasters is huò 禍 (ant. fú 福 "good fortune") which has no connotations of any metaphysical kind. (In OBI the character currently transcribed as huò 禍 - and closely related to 占 - refers not only to disasters as such, but particularly to disastrous omens.)

    2. Zāi 災 refers to a natural disaster, typically sent down by Heaven.

    3. Huàn 患 refers to any major or minor disaster, even down to minor irritations.

    4. Yāng 殃 always refers to major natural disasters, often construed as causes by human misdemeanour, or by a failure to take preventive action.

    5. Niè 孽 often has heavy metaphysical connotations and refers to disasters as caused by higher powers acting with an intention to harm, but there are some clear cases where the word refers to man-made trouble in MENG.

    6. Nàn 難 refer to man-made disasters of every kind.

    7. Jí 急 is a disastrous or highly precarious situation that has occurred suddenly and requires urgent attention.

    8. Bù yú 不虞 is normally a minor disaster that was utterly unexpected.

    9. Xiōng 凶, shěng 眚 and jiù 咎 are archaic metaphysical terms for misfortunes.

    10. Hài 害 refers generally to harm, but in OBI the word standardly refers to harm done by supernatural powers or ancestors.

    Word relations
  • Epithet: (DISASTER)天/GOD Tiān 天 refers to the - often personified or semi-personified - God of Heaven.
  • Assoc: (DISASTER)禍/DISASTER The most common general word for disasters is huò 禍 (ant. fú 福 "good fortune") which has no connotations of any metaphysical kind. (In OBI the character currently transcribed as huò 禍 - and closely related to 占 - refers not only to disasters as such, but particularly to disastrous omens.)