SINK    沉沒沉

MOVE DOWN INTO WATER.
BECOME SUBMERGEDBE ENGULFEDGO DOWNDROPFALLDESCEND
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The most current general word for the process sinking is probably chén 沈 (ant. fú 浮 "float"). 2. Mò 沒 "get submerged" (ant. piāo 漂 "float") expresses the result of chén 沈 "sinking". 3. Lún 淪 "sink into" (ant. fàn 汎 "float") has abstract usages where the word means "go under" and gets close in meaning to wáng 亡 "be ruined". 4. Miǎn 湎 "get immersed in" is mostly used in transferred senses such as "get immersed in wine" and thus gets close in meaning to dān 耽 "get addicted to".
Modern Chinese Criteria
沉沒 陷入 下陷 沉陷 陷落 沉落 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
Hyponym
  • DIP　CAUSE-TO SINK into a LIQUID DURING a SHORT PERIOD. (anc: 12/0, child: 0)
Hypernym
  • MOVE　CHANGE PLACE OR SITUATION. (anc: 10/0, child: 21)
  • CHANGE　EVENT involving two MOMENTS t1 and t2, such that a THING at the MOMENT t1 is DIFFERENT FROM that THING at the MOMENT t2. (anc: 9/0, child: 18)
  • EVENT　REALITY that ARISES in TIME. (anc: 8/0, child: 4)
  • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 10.33

  • 韓非子同義詞研究 ( HANFEI TONGYI 2004) p. 249

    • Words (14 items)

    沈  chén OC: ɡrlum MC: ɖim
    沈  chén OC: ɡrlum MC: ɖim 6 Attributions

    The most current general word for the process sinking is probably chén 沈 (ant. fú 浮 "float").

      Word relations

      Syntactic words
    • vadNsunken, submerged; >obsoleteCH
    • vichangeto sink to the bottom of water by own natural weight; be submerged in water
    • vifigurativesink low> decline
    • vtoNcausativeto submerge in water; throw into (a river etc)
    • vtoNfigurativebe submerged, be suppressed
    • vttoN1.+prep+N2causative[CAUSE TO SINK>] submerge into (sometimes with preposed/topicalised object: 鳥沈於淵 "[nor] sink birds into an abyss"
    沒  mò OC: mɯɯd MC: muot 6 Attributions

    Mò 沒"get submerged" (ant. piāo 漂 "float") expresses the result of chén 沈 "sinking".

      Syntactic words
    • vadNsubmerged in water; diving (沒人 diver)
    • vichangego under, but not necessarily sink to the bottom of the water
    • vt+prep+Nfigurativesink into N
    • vtoNsink into, sink into so as to drown in; dive into (water); get to the bottom of (a staircase)
    • vtoNcausativecause N to sinkCH
    覆  fù OC: phuɡ MC: phuk 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vadNcapsized (boat)
    • vtoNcausativeoverturn > sink (a ship)LZ
    沉  chén 2 Attributions

      Word relations
    • Oppos: 飛 / 蜚/FLY The dominant word in this group is fēi 飛 which usually refers to the flying in a certain direction.

      Syntactic words
    • vifigurativedrown as unassertive in one's environmentCH
    • viprocesssinkTWH
    濡  rú 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • viprocesssinkCH
    襲  xí MC: zip OC: zɯb 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • viprocessof sun: sink down> setCH
    潛浸  qián qīn MC: dzjem tshim  OC: sɡam skhim 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPt(oN)causativecause oneself to sink into> dive into the contextually determinate liquid N; immerse oneself into NCH
    溺  nì MC: nek OC: neewɡ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vt prep Nsink into NCH
    潛  qián OC: sɡam MC: dziɛm 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vadNhidden under water
    • viacthide under water
    • vicausativecause oneself to sink into> delve into water; immerse oneself into waterCH
      Click here to add pinyin MC:  OC: 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vt prep Nsink into NCH
      Click here to add pinyin MC:  OC: 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPt(oN)causativecause oneself to sink into> dive into the contextually determinate liquid N; immerse oneself into NCH
      Click here to add pinyin MC:  OC: 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vicausativecause oneself to sink> diveCH
    淪  lún OC: ɡ-run MC: lʷin 0 Attributions

    Lún 淪 "sink into" (ant. fàn 汎 "float") has abstract usages where the word means "go under" and gets close in meaning to wáng 亡 "be ruined".

      Syntactic words
    • vichangesink (into the water)
    • vt+NN=placesink and sieve into, enter into; by extension: get absorbed into
    湎  miǎn OC: menʔ MC: miɛn 0 Attributions

    Miǎn 湎 "get immersed in" is mostly used in transferred senses such as "get immersed in wine" and thus gets close in meaning to dān 耽 "get addicted to".

      Syntactic words
    • vtoNdrown in wine; XUN, LIJI: drown in abstract things such as discussions etc
    • vttoN1+.vtoN2steep (something/somebody N1) in (something N2); drown something/somebody in