VULGAR 庸俗俗
ORDINARY AND NOT ELEGANT BECAUSE COMMON to EXCESSIVELY MANY.
Old Chinese Criteria
Modern Chinese Criteria
RUSTICUS, RUSTICANUS
488. Inter Rusticum et rusticanum. Rusticus operarius dici potest, rusticanus pater familias.
RUSTIC
rusticus refers to anyone residing in the countryside, and in a transferred sense the word refers to intellectual roughness.
agrestis refers to anything growing wild in the fields, but as a mild expression, and in a transferred sense the word, like "countrified", has a refernce to bashfulness and sometimes even innocence, or occasionally awkwardness.
agrestis refers to anything of rural residence or extraction, and in a transferred sense this word has a reference to shamelessness and vulgarity and is never used in a positive sense.
Interesting more detail in Doederlein 188.
ABAISSEMENT.BASSESSE
IPOLI.GROSSIER.RUSTIQUE
ORDINAIRE.COMMUN.VULGAIRE.TRIVIAL
Words (43 items)
鄙 bǐ OC: prɯʔ MC: pi 24 AttributionsWD
Bǐ 鄙 (ant. chóng 崇 "elevated") refers to rusticity and lack cultural polish typical of a person from outlying regions, a country bumpkin.
- Word relations
- Ant: 仁/BENEVOLENCE
Rén 仁 (ant. cán 殘 "cruel" and perhaps ant.* rěn 忍 "be callous, unfeeling") which refers to kind-heartedness and deep human sensibility as a constitutive feature of man as a moral being, is the standard word since Confucius. [ETHICAL], [HIGH-DEGREE] - Ant: 賢/TALENT
Xián 賢 (ant. bù xiào 不肖 "untalented") often refers to realised talents, and typically includes the nuance of moral worthiness in addition to practical and intellectual talents. - Ant: 寬/GENEROUS
Kuān 寬 and the rarer guǎng 廣 can refer to a general disposition towards non-narrow and broadly directed generosity. - Relat: 賤/HUMBLE
Jiàn 賤 (ant. 貴 "objectively of high standard, but also personally and subjectively judged to deserve this high status") typically adds to the notion of objectively judged low status that of subjectively appreciated moral decrepitude.
- Syntactic words
- nabactvulgar behaviour
- nabpsychvulgarity
- v[adN]nonreferentialvulgar person
- vadNfrom the countryside, popular
- vadNfigurativerustic, vulgar and ignorant, crude
- vadVmeanly, vulgarlyLZ
- vibe rustic, vulgar and ignorant, crude
鄙人 bǐ rén OC: prɯʔ njin MC: pi ȵin 19 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPperson of undistinguished origin; vulgar and uncivilised person
- NP{PRED}be a vulgar person
- NP{PRED}geographicbe from the countryside
- NP{vadN}a person from the countryside
陋 lòu OC: roos MC: lu 16 AttributionsWD
Jiàn 賤 (ant. shàn 善 "good" and also, along different lines guì 貴 "noble") refers 1. to noble status and 2. very negatively to a person or a piece of behaviour as not conforming to any demands set by nobility of purpose or status. Lòu 陋 (ant. huá 華 "elaborate and cultivated") refers to vulgarity as a negative feature of places (streets) or behaviour.
- Word relations
- Assoc: 醜/UGLY
Chǒu 醜 (ant. hǎo 好 "handsome") refers specifically to physical unsightliness and does not necessarily connote a general negative judgment on what is unsightly.
- Syntactic words
- nabfeaturevulgarity
- vadNvulgar and despicable; shabby
- vibe vulgar; moral and aesthetic and metaph: be vulgar
俗 sú OC: sɢloɡ MC: zi̯ok 16 AttributionsWD
The most general current word for ordinariness or vulgarity is sú 俗 (ant. yǎ 雅 "elegant"), and the basic parameter of judging something as sú 俗is relative status in the hierarchy.
- Word relations
- Inconsist: 道/METHOD
Dào 道 is a way of being, of functioning, as well as a way of doing things, and this Way may be either exoteric or esoteric. - Inconsist: 至道/TRUE
- Epithet: 儒/SCHOLAR
- Contrast: 常/COMMON
Cháng 常 (ant. guài 怪 "extraordinary") refers to what is regularly met and not unexpected. - Oppos: 離/AVOID
Lí 離 differs from yuàn 遠 in the fact that no great distance, concrete or abstract, is implied in the word. [DELIBERATE]; [[DERIVED]]
- Syntactic words
- v[adN]N=human, pluralthe vulgar; the vulgar people; the common people; the common crowd; les gens du monde
- v[adN]subjectwhat is vulgar; vulgarities
- vadNvulgar, merely popular; rude, crude
- vadVcommonly, among the common people
- vivulgar, merely popular; rude, crude
鄙夫 bǐ fū OC: prɯʔ pa MC: pi pi̯o 12 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPnonreferentialthe mean personLZ
- NP{PRED}be an uncivilised fellow
- NP{vadN}indefinitea vulgar person; a mean person
野 yě OC: laʔ MC: jɣɛ 10 AttributionsWD
Yě 野 (ant. wén 文 "properly educacted, civilised") refers to true country style without necessarily strong negative connotations, but with clear overtones of condescension.
- Word relations
- Oppos: 史/SCRIBE
- Oppos: 史/OFFICIAL
Shǐ 史 is an official in charge of records and documents.
- Syntactic words
- vadNrustic; country style; uncivilised
- vibe rustic; be country style; be barbaric
- vi0there is vulgarity; there is barbarism
世俗 shì sú OC: lʰebs sɢloɡ MC: ɕiɛi zi̯ok 9 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPadNvulgar; popular; currently politically correct
- NPpluralthe vulgar world of men; the common peopleCH
世 shì OC: lʰebs MC: ɕiɛi 6 AttributionsWD
- Word relations
- Epithet: 俗/CUSTOM
Sú 俗 (and the rarer and much more personal xí 習) tend to refer to what is perceived as popular and sometimes even vulgar traditional practices. There is a current conception that the sú 俗 are quintessential in origin and essence, but in spite of this they are conceived of as changeable in principle.
- Syntactic words
- nadNof these vulgar times; of this vulgar world 世俗
- nmcollectivethe vulgar people, the vulgar crowd; 18th century French: le monde
眾 zhòng OC: tjuŋs MC: tɕuŋ 5 AttributionsWD
Zhòng 眾 (ant. zhuō 卓 "outstanding") refers to what is characteristically linked to the hoi polloi, the ordinary people at large.
- Syntactic words
- n異眾"be different from the vulgar crowd": the hoi polloi, the profanum vulgus, the vulgar ordinary people
- vadNvulgar, ordinary, characteristic of the hoi polloi; the mob
僻 pì OC: pheeɡ MC: phek
辟 pì OC: pheɡ MC: phiɛk 4 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- vadNremote and uncivilised
- vibe uncultivated
小 xiǎo OC: smewʔ MC: siɛu 3 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- v[adN]petty vulgar person
- vadNvulgar and despicable
庸眾 yōng zhòng OC: k-loŋ tjuŋs MC: ji̯oŋ tɕuŋ 2 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- VPibe mundane and vulgar
下節 xià jié OC: ɢraaʔ tsiiɡ MC: ɦɣɛ tset 2 AttributionsWD
DCD 1. 謂節操低下，志向、抱負不高。
- Syntactic words
- NPabactbeing regarded and treatec as vulgar> public disrespect
- VPibe of low moral calibre
- VPtoNpassiveregard as morally inferior
褐寬博 hè kuān bó OC: ɡaad khoon paaɡ MC: ɦɑt khʷɑn pɑk 2 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NP[adN]human(person) dressed in coarse hairy loose cloth; commoner dressed in coarse clothes; common fellow
今人 jīn rén OC: krɯm njin MC: kim ȵin 2 AttributionsWD
- Word relations
- Oppos: 我/EGO
Wǒ 我 is contrastive and emphatic by Warring States times (in OBI it was not yet in opposition to wú 吾 and was the standard unmarked pronoun during earlier stages of the language). The word freely occurs in subject, mofifying, and object position and often has an idiomatic meaning like "I for my part" and the formal slightly depersonalised "our party". NB: The word also serves as an impersonal pronoun meaning "one", German man, French on.
- Syntactic words
- NPpluralpeople nowadays
卑 bēi 2 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- v[adN]base thingsLZ
- vimean, vulgar, baseLZ
嵬瑣 wěi suǒ MC: ngwojX swaX OC: ŋɡuulʔ soolʔ 2 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- VP[adN]the weird and base onesLZ
- VPiweird and baseLZ
賤者 jiàn zhě OC: dzens kljaʔ MC: dziɛn tɕɣɛ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPabfeaturevulgarity (or: the vulgar!!)
俗薄 sú báo OC: sɢloɡ baaɡ MC: zi̯ok bɑk 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPabpettiness, moral insignificance, vulgarities
市人 shì rén MC: dzyiX nyin OC: djɯʔ njin 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPthe common people (as those in the market place)CH
褐夫 hè fū OC: ɡaad pa MC: ɦɑt pi̯o 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPchumancommon fellow; coarsely clad man
下 xià OC: ɢraaʔ MC: ɦɣɛ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- vibe vulgar, be base
流 liú MC: ljuw OC: ru 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- vadNvulgar, rude, popularLZ
傭俗 yōng sú MC: yowng zjowk OC: k-loŋ sɢloɡ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- VPibe vulgarLZ
匹婦 pǐ fù OC: phid buʔ MC: phit bɨu 1 AttributionWD
Pǐ fù 匹婦 refers specifically to the wife of a person without public employment.
- Syntactic words
- NP{vadN}nonreferentialordinary woman
凡心 fán xīn OC: blom slɯm MC: bi̯ɐm sim 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPadVwith vulgar intent
仄 zè MC: tsrik OC: tsrɯɡ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- vadNvulgarCH
小醜 xiǎo chǒu OC: smewʔ khljuʔ MC: siɛu tɕhɨu 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPvulgar person
庸 yōng MC: yowng OC: k-loŋ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- vadNvulgar, undignifiedCH
麤 cū OC: tshaa MC: tshuo̝ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- vadVin a coarse and vulgar way
傭 yōng MC: yowng OC: k-loŋ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- vi(= 庸) vulgar, banalLZ
草野 cǎo yě OC: tshuuʔ laʔ MC: tshɑu jɣɛ 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- VPivulgarly slipshod
埤汙 pí wù MC: bjie 'uH OC: be qʷlaas 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- VPi(= bei1wu4 卑汙) base, meanLZ
比俗 bǐ sú OC: piʔ sɢloɡ MC: pi zi̯ok 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPadNvulgar
薄 báo OC: baaɡ MC: bɑk 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- vimorally insignificant
Click here to add pinyin MC: OC: 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- vadNvulgar, undignifiedCH
匹 pǐ OC: phid MC: phit 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- vadNvulgar 匹婦，匹夫
匹夫 pǐ fū OC: phid pa MC: phit pi̯o 0 AttributionsWD
Pǐ fū 匹夫 and bù yī 布衣 (ant. jūn zǐ 君子 "gentleman") refer specifically to males of the lower classes or males without public employment.
- Syntactic words
賤 jiàn OC: dzens MC: dziɛn 0 AttributionsWD
Jiàn 賤 (ant. shàn 善 "good" and also, along different lines guì 貴 "noble") refers 1. to noble status and 2. very negatively to a person or a piece of behaviour as not conforming to any demands set by nobility of purpose or status. Lòu 陋 (ant. huá 華 "elaborate and cultivated") refers to vulgarity as a negative feature of places (streets) or behaviour.
- Word relations
- Ant: 榮/FAMOUS
Róng 榮 (ant. rǔ 辱 "shame, humiliation") which refers to any form of widely recognised high renown.
- Syntactic words
俚 lǐ OC: ɡ-rɯʔ MC: lɨ 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- vibe vulgar
傖 cāng OC: skhaaŋ MC: tshɑŋ 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- vadNvulgar; barbaric
民 mín OC: min MC: min 0 AttributionsWD
- Word relations
- Oppos: 我/EGO
Wǒ 我 is contrastive and emphatic by Warring States times (in OBI it was not yet in opposition to wú 吾 and was the standard unmarked pronoun during earlier stages of the language). The word freely occurs in subject, mofifying, and object position and often has an idiomatic meaning like "I for my part" and the formal slightly depersonalised "our party". NB: The word also serves as an impersonal pronoun meaning "one", German man, French on.
- Syntactic words
- nadNordinary
- npredicateordinary person
布衣 bù yī OC: paas qɯl MC: puo̝ ʔɨi 0 AttributionsWD
Pǐ fū 匹夫 and bù yī 布衣 (ant. jūn zǐ 君子 "gentleman") refer specifically to males of the lower classes or males without public employment.
- Syntactic words