Taxonomy of meanings for 占:  

  • 占 zhān (OC: kljem MC: tɕiɛm) 職廉切 平 廣韻:【視兆也亦姓陳大夫子占之後又章豔切 】
    • DIVINATION
      • nabactprognostication or interpretation of divinatory results
      • viactcarry out divination using oracle bone or milfoil stalk; interpret signs in the process of divination
      • vtoNinterpret (signs for prognostication, auspiciousness etc)
    • JUDGE
      • vttoN.+VtoSdiagnose (a patient, saying...)
  • 占 zhàn (OC: kljems MC: tɕiɛm) 章豔切 去 廣韻:【固也章豔切又職鹽切一 】

    Additional information about 占

    說文解字: 【占】,視兆問也。从卜、从口。 〔小徐本「口」上無「从」。〕 【職廉切】

      Criteria
    • DIVINATION

      1. The current general word for any form of divination is zhān 占.

      2. Bǔ 卜 refers to the whole process of divination by oracle bone from turtle or bovine, including the heating of the bones, causing the cracks to appear, and sometimes even the incision of inscriptions on the cracked bone.

      3. Shì 筮 refers to divination by milfoil.

      4. Zhuān 篿 refers to the practice of divination by bamboo slips.

      5. Guī 龜 refers to divination by turtle shell.

      6. Cè 策 is the general term for divinations stalks of any kind.

      7. Shī 蓍 refers specifically to milfoil stalks as used in divination.

    • DREAM

      1. The current standard word for a dream is mèng 夢.

      2. Xiōng mèng 凶夢 refers to a nightmare.

      ZHOULI 3 占夢:掌其歲時,觀天地之會,辨陰陽之氣。以日月星辰占六夢之吉凶,一曰正夢,二曰噩夢,三曰思夢,四曰寤夢,五曰喜夢,六曰懼夢。季冬,聘王夢,獻吉夢于王,王拜而受之。乃舍萌于四方,以贈惡夢,遂令始難驅疫。

    • 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
    • Assoc: (DIVINATION)兆/OMEN The current general term for a presage is zhào 兆.