EARLY    早早

TIME PERIOD SOMETHING has NOT-YET HAPPENED
UNTIMELYPREMATUREUNSEASONABLEBEFORE TIME
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The current word for early, referring both to periods in one's life and time in the year or the day, is zǎo 早 (ant. wǎn 晚 "late"), but the word often specifically means "too early". 2. Sù 夙 (ant. chí 遲 "late, too late") refers specifically to the early period in one's life. 3. Xiān 先 is relative and refers to the period earlier than something else. 4. Yù 豫／預 refers to a point in time suitably early, earlier than necessary, or earlier than expected. 5. Yāo 夭 refers specifically to prematureness of death.
Modern Chinese Criteria
早 早日 早早 絕早 ??? rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
Hyponym
  • PRECEDE　EARLY IN-RELATION-TO something. (anc: 6/0, child: 0)
  • BEFORE　EARLY IN-RELATION-TO. (anc: 6/0, child: 0)
Antonym
  • LATETIME when some OTHER TIME has ALREADY HAPPENED:passed, or when something SHOULD ALREADY have HAPPENED.
  • TIMELYAt the APPROPRIATE OR CORRECT MOMENT.
Hypernym
  • PERIOD　TIME CONSISTING of a LIMITED SEQUENCE of MOMENTS. (anc: 4/0, child: 20)
  • TIME　ABSTRACT OBJECT that all EVENTS ARE-IN. (anc: 3/0, child: 11)
  • OBJECT　[NO HYPERNYM.] WHAT one CAN NAME:refer to. (anc: 2/0, child: 6)
Other Hypernyms
  • TIME　ABSTRACT OBJECT that all EVENTS ARE-IN. (anc: 3/0, child: 11)
  • OBJECT　[NO HYPERNYM.] WHAT one CAN NAME:refer to. (anc: 2/0, child: 6)
  • PRIME　 (anc: 1/0, child: 2)
  • Novyj objasnitel'nyj Slovar' Sinonimov Russkogo Jazyka ( APRESJAN 2004) p. 941

  • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 14.16

  • Lateinische Synonyme und Etymologien ( DOEDERLEIN 1840) p.

    EARLY

    mane refers to the time in the morning, in the early part of the bright day, as opposed to the night.

    crepusculo refers to the twilight in the very early morning, as opposed to the bright day.

    diluculo refers to the dim twilight just after complete darkness.

    • Words (10 items)

    早  zǎo OC: tsuuʔ MC: tsɑu
    蚤  zǎo OC: tsuuʔ MC: tsɑu 59 Attributions

    The current word for early, referring both to periods in one's life and time in the year or the day, is zǎo 早 (ant. wǎn 晚 "late"), but the word often specifically means "too early".

      Word relations
    • Ant: 晏/LATE Yàn 晏 (ant. zǎo 早"early") refers to a time later that what is acceptable.

      Syntactic words
    • vadVas early as possible; appropriately early
    • vadVvery earlyCH
    • vadVnegativeprematurely, too early; so early
    • vibe earlyCH
    • vi0be too early
    • vi0adN(the time) when it is early
    • vigradedbe earlier
    先  xiān OC: sɯɯn MC: sen 42 Attributions

    Xiān 先 is relative and refers to the period earlier than something else.

      Syntactic words
    • vadN先王"the early primordial (hardly ever just 'the former') kings":primordial; early in history, earlier in time
    • vadNderivedearlier in a textCH
    • vadVbeforehand; at an early stage; in good time, before it is too late
    • vadVfirst; first of all; before everyone elseCH
    • vadVbeforeat an earlier stage
    • vadVnegativetoo early, earlier than it should be
    • vt[oN]arrive earlier than othersLZ
    • vtoNbe earlier than someone N, Danish: komme i forkøbet
    • vtoN.adSbefore
    • vtoN.adVanteceding N, preceding N, acting earlier than N;
    豫  yù OC: las MC: ji̯ɤ 5 Attributions

    Yù 豫／預 refers to a point in time suitably early, earlier than necessary, or earlier than expected.

      Syntactic words
    • vadVbeforehand, ahead of time; in good time; in advance
    夙  sù OC: suɡ MC: suk 5 Attributions

    Sù 夙 (ant. chí 遲 "late, too late") refers specifically to the early period in one's life.

      Syntactic words
    • vadVgenerally: early
    預  yù OC: las MC: ji̯ɤ 4 Attributions

    Yù 豫／預 refers to a point in time suitably early, earlier than necessary, or earlier than expected.

      Syntactic words
    • vadVearly, in advance
    先後  xiān hòu OC: sɯɯn ɡooʔ MC: sen ɦu 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPabfeaturerelative earliness or lateness> priority
    夭  yāo OC: qrowʔ MC: ʔiɛu 2 Attributions

    Yāo 夭 refers specifically to prematureness of death.

      Word relations
    • Epithet: 死/DIE The dominant general word is sǐ 死 (ant. shēng 生"be alive"), and this can refer to the death of plants as well as animals or men.

      Syntactic words
    • vadV(die) early in one's life
    • vtoNcausativeterminate N prematurely (夭其生)LZ
    前  qián OC: dzeen MC: dzen 1 Attribution

      Word relations
    • Ant: 後/LATE The current general word for lateness is hòu 後 (ant. xiān 先 "earlier"), and this word refers to anything that comes later in time than something else.

      Syntactic words
    • vibe earlier
    短命  duǎn mìng OC: toonʔ mɢreŋs MC: tʷɑn mɣaŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPadVafter a short life
    朝早  zhāo zǎo OC: taw tsuuʔ MC: ʈiɛu tsɑu 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPadVearly in the morning