Taxonomy of meanings for 辯:　　

  • 辯 biàn (OC: brenʔ MC: bɯiɛn) 符蹇切 上 廣韻：【别也理也慧也説文治也符蹇切五 】
    • DISCUSS
      • nabactdisputation; cavilling argumentation
      • vadNfull of sophistry, inanely argumentative
      • viactengage in an intellectual dispute, make subtle distinctions; engage in rhetoric
      • vtoNdiscuss with 勿與辯
      • vt2[oN]discuss things with somebodyDS
      • vt+prep+Ndiscuss a topic N in a discriminating wayTWH
      • vt(oN)discuss the contextually determinate NLZ
      • able to discuss well>UNDERSTAND
        • viactbe quick-witted; understand and be able to articulate clearly
        • vt+prep+Nstativeunderstand properly; develop a proper understanding of
        • vtoNunderstand distinctly; sort things out properly
        • feature:INTELLIGENT
            • negative>WISE
              • vibe cleverCH
          • causative>EXPLAIN
            • vtoNpsychexplain (one's own) case
            • viactengage in logically quibbling explanatory discourseCH
            • vtoNperfectiveexplain rationally and distinctlyCH
            • controversial> ARGUMENT
            • causative> consequently>MAKE CORRECT
                • intellectual result>CLEAR
                  • social: control intellectually and control>GOVERN
              • among several people>DIALOGUE
                • nabactdiscussion
                • viactengage in discussions
                • excel at>ELOQUENT
                  • viactbe well-spoken, be eloquent, be rhetorically successful; be well-argued; show eloquence in action
                  • vadNeloquent, well-spoken; LH 1: interested in rhetoric
                  • nabdispositionconvincing eloquence; rhetoric; rhetorical polish; rhetorical skill
                  • vtoNcausativemake rhetorically beautiful
                  • vadVeloquently
                  • nabfeaturerhetorical and argumentative proficiency
                  • nsubject=nonrefthose who are eloquent
                  • nabactdiscursive argumentation; acts of eloquence and argumentation; especially: specious argumentation
                  • vadNgradedeloquent, well-spoken
                  • visubject=wordsbe well-articulated
                  • nab(.post-N)the eloquence of the contextually determinate NCH
                  • nab[.post-N]:adVas for N's rhetorical abilities; as for argumentation skillsDS
                  • too much> SOPHISTRY
            • =辨DISTINGUISH
              • vtoN=辨 distinguish properly; be able to draw a distinction between; sort out by making distinctions
              • vtoNmiddle voicebe properly distinguished; be well-articulated
              • nabact=辨 the making of subtle distinctions
              • vt(oN)explain a contextually determinate thing distinctly
              • nab.ttstative=辨 the distinction between N1 and N2
              • vt+prep+.N1+N2=辨 make a proper distinction between N1 and N2
              • vttoN1.+N2=辨 distinguish N1 from N2CH
            • =變
          • 辯 ｐｉａｎ２《集韻》毗連切，平仙並。
          • 辯 ｂｉａｎ３《集韻》悲檢切，上儼幫。元部。
            • =貶
          • biànDIFFERENT
            • nab=辨？ significant differenceCH
          • biànLOGIC
            • vadNcharacterised by argumentative discussion> logicalCH
            • nablogical disquisitionsCH
          • biànRATIONAL
            • nabactrational deliberation and debateCH

          Additional information about 辯

          說文解字: 【辯】，治也。从言在辡之閒。 【符蹇切】

            Criteria
          • DISCUSS

            1. The most current words for discussion are yì 議 "public (often formal) discussion", and lùn 論 "discursive discourse; written summary discussion with a conclusion".

            2. Biàn 辯 refers to a rational subtle discussion and investigation.

            3. Zhēng 爭 refers to an eristic discussion or an altercation, and the word emphasises the intellectual conflict involved. See STRUGGLE.

            4. Jiǎng 講 refers to discussing something as an important subject and in a systematic manner.

            5. Tǎo 討 is to engage in a deep and thorough discussion and investigation of something.

            6. Píng 評 is a rare word that refers to discussion. (NB: this word enjoyed a renaissance and become more common in post-Buddhist times.)

            7.Tán 談 refers (often pejoratively) to an informal, perhaps even inconsequential, dialogue or or discourse on something. See DIALOGUE.

          • ELOQUENT

            1. The current general term for articulate rhetorical ability is biàn 辯 (ant. nè 訥 "be tongue-tied").

            2. Nìng 佞 typically describes rhetorical skill as an unattractive negative attribute.

            3. Gǔ jí 滑稽 is an ambiguous word referring to elequence as either articulateness and fluency, or as loquaciousness.

          • UNDERSTAND

            1. The standard current and word for understanding something and knowing how to do something is zhī 知 (ant. mèi 昧 "not have the foggiest idea").

            2. Míng 明 (ant. měng 蒙 "have very confused notions about") refers to incisive clarity of insight.

            3. Tōng 通 (ant. hūn 昏 "be confused about") refers to comprehensive and thorough familiarity with a subject.

            4. Yù 喻 / 諭 (ant. àn 闇 "be in the dark about") typically refers to clarity achieved on the basis of an effort of articulation.

            5. Chá 察 and shěn 審 (ant. mí 迷 "be all lost when it comes to") refer to incisive clarity of understanding coupled with great awareness of the details of a matter.

            6. Jīng 精 (mào 眊 / 耄 "be completely stupid with respect to") refers to a subtle and thorough understanding of something.

            7. Shí 識 refers to familiarity with something concrete, but the word also refers to simple awareness, especially when negated.

            8. Biàn 辨 / 辯 (ant. huò 惑 "be al confused about") refers to discriminating and highly articulate specialised, often professional knowledge about something.

            9. Jué 覺 and the rarer wù 悟 are inchoative and refer to the coming to understand something.

            10. Wēn 溫 refers to the resulting close familiarity after long acquaintance with a subject.

            11. Wén 聞 (ant. wèi zhī wén 未之聞 "have never heard/learnt about any such thing") is sometimes used as a resultative verb meaning "come to understand something because one has been informed of it". But this usage is limited to the idiom wén dào 聞道 "hear about the Way".

            12. Xī 悉 and jìn 盡 refer to presumed completeness in knowledge.

          • ARGUE

            辯

          • DIALOGUE

            1. The current general word for engaging in familiar informal conversation is yǔ 語 (ant. mò 默 "say nothing").

            2. Biàn 辯 refers sometimes to discussion or exchange of views typically among equals. See DISCUSS

            3. Tán 談 refers to informal chatter or unrespectable intellectual dialogue.

            4. Jiǎng 講 refers to the discussion of important subjects in the context of informal conversation, typically among equals. See EXPLAIN

          • ANALYSE

            辨／辯

          • RHETORIC

            辯

          • DISTINGUISH

            1. The current general word is biàn 辨, sometimes also written 辯.

            2. The deliberate establishment of distinctions is bié 別 or pàn 判.

            3. Jué 決 is the concrete process by which one decides whether an established distinction obtains or does not obtain in a concrete case.

            4. Xī 析 is to make a set of relevant distinctions on a given subject.

            5. Yì 異 can be used putatively for "consider to be different" in theorising discourse.

            6. Fèn 分 refers to the results of the deliberate establishment of distinctions, and to the making of such distinctions.

            Word relations
          • Ant: (DISCUSS)行/ACT The current general word for any deliberate action one may be held morally and/or administratively responsible for is xíng 行 (ant. zhǐ 止 "decide not to take action"). The nominal entries have the old reading xìng. [COMMENDATORY!], [GENERAL], [HABITUAL], [RESPONSIBLE]
          • Ant: (ELOQUENT)訥/STUTTER Nè 訥refers to a general intellectual or linguistic difficulty in expressing oneself fluently or smoothly.
          • Object: (DISCUSS)好/LOVE
          • Epithet: (ELOQUENT)士/GENTLEMAN The current general term for a person of a certain social standing is shì 士 and this word often connotes specifically a certain level of education, particularly literacy. See INTELLECTUAL.
          • Epithet: (ELOQUENT)說/PERSUADE The current general words for persuasion are shuì 說 "persuade of a point of view or a course of action" versus quàn 勸 "persuade someone to engage in a certain course of action he or she was not originally planning to enage in".
          • Epithet: (ELOQUENT)辭/PROSE
          • Contrast: (ELOQUENT)巧/SKILLFUL The standard word for skilfulness is qiǎo 巧 (ant. zhuó 拙 "inept").
          • Contrast: (ELOQUENT)辭/ELOQUENT
          • Assoc: (ELOQUENT)說/EXPLAIN The current general word for a discursive "analytical" explanation of something that is not sufficiently clear in itself is shuō 說.
          • Assoc: (ELOQUENT)慧 / 惠/WISE Huì 慧 refers to profound wisdom and depth of insight.
          • Assoc: (DISCUSS)爭/DISAGREE Zhēng 爭 (ant. dìng 定 "confirm and not contest") refers to contending a conflicting point of view in a combative intellectual or rhetorical way.
          • Assoc: (DISCUSS)論/DISCUSS The current words for discussion are yì 議 "public discussion", and lùn 論 "discursive discourse; written summary discussion with a conclusion".
          • Oppos: (UNDERSTAND)明/EXPLAIN Míng 明 is to throw intellectual light on something by any means, including illustration as well as historical explanation or definition.