EYE 眼睛目
ORGAN USED FOR SEEING THINGS.
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The general word for the eye, including the area around the eye is mù 目 (thus when one shāng mù 傷目 what is injured is not necessarily the eyeball itself). (This is a very flexible word which also has verbal uses. For which see SEE.)
2. Yǎn 眼 is a colloquial word for the eye (particularly the eyeball, as in yú yǎn 魚眼, never yú mù 魚目 in this sense) which became current in Warring States times. See EYE PARTS.
NB: Jīng 睛 is extremely rare in pre-Buddhist Chinese, and the word refers not so much to the eye as a whole but to the eyeball specifically.
2. Yǎn 眼 is a colloquial word for the eye (particularly the eyeball, as in yú yǎn 魚眼, never yú mù 魚目 in this sense) which became current in Warring States times. See EYE PARTS.
NB: Jīng 睛 is extremely rare in pre-Buddhist Chinese, and the word refers not so much to the eye as a whole but to the eyeball specifically.
黄金貴：古漢語同義詞辨釋詞典
HUANG JINGUI 2006
BODY 34.
目，本義是指整個眼睛，特指眼珠。
眼，戰國文獻始見，指眼珠；到了漢末， “ 眼 ” 指整個眼睛，和 “ 目 ’ 一文一白。
睛，黑眼珠，可泛指整個眼珠子。
眸，眼瞳，也可泛指整個眼珠子，和 “ 睛 ” 一文一白。
瞳（童），專指眼瞳。
In their nominal uses, 目 and 眼 are synonyms, both being used in the sense of the eye as a perceptive and expressive whole (including eye socket and eyebrows), and in the more restricted sense of (a movable, bright) eyeball. 目 belongs to the earliest strata of written Chinese, but 眼 occurs first in late Warring States texts; in terms of style, 眼 is colloquial, whereas 目 is literary. In expressions such as 目下 / 眼下, 目前 / 眼前, there are at most stylistic differences. 眼 has no verbal uses.
BODY 34.
目，本義是指整個眼睛，特指眼珠。
眼，戰國文獻始見，指眼珠；到了漢末， “ 眼 ” 指整個眼睛，和 “ 目 ’ 一文一白。
睛，黑眼珠，可泛指整個眼珠子。
眸，眼瞳，也可泛指整個眼珠子，和 “ 睛 ” 一文一白。
瞳（童），專指眼瞳。
In their nominal uses, 目 and 眼 are synonyms, both being used in the sense of the eye as a perceptive and expressive whole (including eye socket and eyebrows), and in the more restricted sense of (a movable, bright) eyeball. 目 belongs to the earliest strata of written Chinese, but 眼 occurs first in late Warring States texts; in terms of style, 眼 is colloquial, whereas 目 is literary. In expressions such as 目下 / 眼下, 目前 / 眼前, there are at most stylistic differences. 眼 has no verbal uses.
Modern Chinese Criteria
眼
眼睛
目
眸子
肉眼
rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
眼睛
目
眸子
肉眼
rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
- A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages
(
BUCK 1988)
p.
4.21 - Bibliographisches Handbuch zur Sprachinhaltsforschung. Teil II. Systematischer Teil. B. Ordnung nach Sinnbezirken (mit einem alphabetischen Begriffsschluessel): Der Mensch und seine Welt im Spiegel der Sprachforschung
(
FRANKE 1989)
p.
7 AUGE
- 古代文化詞異集類辨考 Gudai wenhua ci yi ji lei bian kao
(
HUANG JINGUI 1995)
p.
509 - 古代文化詞異集類辨考 Gudai wenhua ci yi ji lei bian kao
(
HUANG JINGUI 1995)
p.
513 - A Russian-English Collocational Dictionary of the Human Body
(
IORDANSKAJA 1996)
p.
43 - 論衡同義詞研究
(
LUNHENG TONGYI 2004)
p.
3 - Dictionnaire culturel en langue francaise
(
REY 2005)
p.
3.1081 - 古漢語同義詞管窺 Gu Hanyu tongyi ci guankui 佳木斯師專學報 Jiamusi shi zhuan xuebao ( Sun Yunjie 1987) p.
- 《毛傳》的詞義辨析 "Mao zhuan" de ci yi bianxi 人大复印·語言文字學 Renda fuyin ziliao yuyan wenzixue ( Tang Yuming 1990) p.
- 東漢﹣隨常用詞演變研究
(
WANG WEIHUI 2000)
p.
24 - 古辭辨 Gu ci bian
(
WANG FENGYANG 1993)
p.
118 - 王力古漢語字典
(
WANG LI 2000)
p.
788 眼，目
1. The graphic composition of mu4 目 is not avalid argument concerning the meaning of the word. WL is highly misleading on this.
- 漢語表“紅”的顏色詞群分析（上） Hanyu biao "hong" de yanse ci qun fenxi (shang) 語文硏究 Yuwen yanjiu ( Zeng Liang 1988) p.
- Encyclopedia of Religion ( JONES 2005) p.
- Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens
(
BAECHTHOLD-STAEUBLI 1987)
p.
1.681 - Handbook of Greek Synonymes, from the French of M. Alex. Pillon, Librarian of the Bibliothèque Royale , at Paris, and one of the editors of the new edition of Plaché's Dictionnaire Grec-Français, edited, with notes, by the Rev. Thomas Kerchever Arnold, M.A. Rector of Lyndon, and late fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge
(
PILLON 1850)
p.
no.346 - 古漢語常用詞同義詞詞典
(
HONG CHENGYU 2009)
p.
80
Words
目 mù OC: muɡ MC: muk 74 AttributionsWD
The general word for the eye, including the area around the eye is mù 目(thus when one shāng mù 傷目 what is injured is not necessarily the eyeball itself). (This is a very flexible word which also has verbal uses. For which see SEE.)
- Word relations
- Object: 揜 / 掩 / 奄/COVER
Yǎn 掩/揜 is an informal word which focusses on the deliberate act by a human, executed with his hand, which is designed to prevent something from being discovered or from getting in touch with other things. - Assoc: 耳/EAR
The current standard word for the ear is ěr 耳. - Oppos: 神/SOUL
Shén 神 is primarily a subtle physical substance which gives man his spiritual dimension (ant. xíng 形 "body")), and the body xíngtǐ 形體 is the abode shè 舍 of the soul. - Oppos: 腹/STOMACH
The general term for the belly is fù 腹. - Oppos: 耳/EAR
The current standard word for the ear is ěr 耳.
- Syntactic words
- neye
- n(post-N)dualisthe eyes of the contexually determinate N
- n[post-N]pluralhuman eyes; one's eyesCH
- nadVinstrumentwith one's own eyes; with one's eyes; in one's eyes
- nderivedreadersCH
- npostVt(.post-N)one's eyesCH
眼 yǎn OC: ŋɡrɯɯnʔ MC: ŋɣɛn 11 AttributionsWD
Yǎn 眼 is a colloquial word for the eye (particularly the eyeball, as in yú yǎn 魚眼, never yú mù 魚目 in this sense) which became current in Warring States times. See EYE PARTS.
- Syntactic words
- ncolloquial: eye; attested from Warring States.
- nfigurativeeye
法眼 fǎ yǎn OC: pab ŋɡrɯɯnʔ MC: pi̯ɐp ŋɣɛn 9 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPabbuddhistBUDDH: dharma eye (skr. dharma-cakṣus) > the true understanding of the Buddhist teaching
道眼 dào yǎn OC: ɡ-luuʔ ŋɡrɯɯnʔ MC: dɑu ŋɣɛn 3 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPeyes supernaturally equipped for the Buddhist truth
天眼 tiān yǎn OC: lʰiin ŋɡrɯɯnʔ MC: then ŋɣɛn 2 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPdivine eye
- VPibe endowed with a heavenly/spiritual eye
人目 rén mù OC: njin muɡ MC: ȵin muk 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPthe human eye
眼目 yǎn mù OC: ŋɡrɯɯnʔ muɡ MC: ŋɣɛn muk 1 AttributionWD
- Syntactic words
- NPeye, eyesight
眼腦 yǎn nǎo OC: ŋɡrɯɯnʔ nuuʔ MC: ŋɣɛn nɑu 1 AttributionWD
- 唐五代語言詞典 Táng Wǔdài yǔyán cídiǎn A Dictionary of the Language of the Tang and Five Dynasties Periods
(
JIANG/CAO 1997)
p.
403 眼珠；指眼睛
ALso appearing in BIANWEN
- Syntactic words
- NPeye
- NPfigurativeeye to discern > understanding
盼 pàn OC: phrɯɯns MC: phɣɛn 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- nclear and bright eyes
睛 jīng OC: tseŋ MC: tsiɛŋ 0 AttributionsWD
NB: Jīng 睛 is extremely rare in pre-Buddhist Chinese, and the word refers not so much to the eye as a whole but to the eyeball specifically.
- Syntactic words
- nthe eyeball
淨眼 jìng yǎn OC: skhreeŋ ŋɡrɯɯnʔ MC: dziɛŋ ŋɣɛn 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPundefiled Buddha-eye
清淨法眼 qīng jìng fǎ yǎn OC: tsheŋ skhreeŋ pab ŋɡrɯɯnʔ MC: tshiɛŋ dziɛŋ pi̯ɐp ŋɣɛn 0 AttributionsWD
- Syntactic words
- NPabbuddhistBUDDH: pure dharma-eye (This is an alternative expression for zhèng-ǎ yǎnzāng 正法眼藏 which is a specific Chán/Zen term referring to the mind which is transmitted from Buddha to Buddha, master to master, independent of any scriptual teachings; it refers to the 'eye' of wisdom which can discern the ultimate truth and is as such synonymous with ultimate wisdom; this expression did not appear before Song times (although the phrase fǎyǎn jìng 法眼淨 is of early origin and appears in sūtra literature; see FOGUANG: 3388b-c) in Chán works such as LIANDENG, often in combination with nièpán miàoxīn 涅槃妙心; the two phrases are occasionally contracted into zhèngfǎ miàoxīn 正法妙心 'the wonderful mind of the right dharma' (see FOGUANG: 1993c-1994a). ZTJ is either the earliest source for this term or the passage was probably interpolated during the early Song)
Existing SW for
Here are Syntactic Words already defined in the database:
Searching Wikidata
Type: