Taxonomy of meanings for 跡 / 迹:  

  • 跡 jì, (OC: sklaɡ MC: tsiɛk) 資昔切 入 廣韻:【足迹 】
  • 跡 jì, (OC: sklaɡ MC: tsiɛk) 資昔切 入 廣韻:【同迹 】
    • FOOTPRINT
      • nfigurativetraces
      • npost-Nfootprint; traces (some examples have to be moved to n(post-N) because that N can be omitted
      • follow in the footsteps>IMITATE
          • concrete>ACT
            • nabactbehaviour in the past; record of actions in the past
          • pursue traces>STUDY
              • successfully>PROVE
                • nabfactualmanifest visible proof
          • generalised>TRACE
            • npost-Ntraces, legacyLZ
            • figurative: trace of injury>WOUND
              • abstract: of the Sages, the Way>METHOD
          • 跡 jì, (OC: ʔsljaaɡ ʔsleeɡ MC: tsiɛk) 資昔切 入 廣韻:【迹籀文 】
          • 迹 jì, (OC: sklaɡ MC: tsiɛk) 資昔切 入 廣韻:【足迹 】

            Additional information about 跡

            說文解字:

              Criteria
            • TRACE

            • FOOTPRINT

              1. The standard word for a footprint or even more abstractly of a trace left is jī 跡, which should be written with rad. 162.

              2. Wǔ 武 refers to the footprint as a standard of length.

              3. Zōng 蹤 refers literally to footprints.

            • 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.