SCALES    秤

TOOL USED FOR WEIGHING THINGS.
Old Chinese Criteria
1. General word for scales is chèng 秤 / 稱, which occurs already in LSCQ. It refers to the whole implement, i.e. both to the weighing rod and the weight. Today, typical Chinese lever scales consists of the weighing rod and the weight suspended from it. The thing to be weighed is put on the bowl hanged down from the one end of the weighing beam, and its weight is determined by moving the weight till balance between the weight and weighed thing is reached. It seems that this type of scales came to be used only in Tang times. Scales known from the Warring States period consists of the wooden stick with two small bronze bowls suspended from its both sides; the things to be weighed were put on one bowl and weights on the other. 2. Héng 衡 refers to the whole of the weighing contraption, the scales, but the term does not include a weight. 3. Quán 權 refers to the weight. Weights known from the Warring States period are usually made of bronze. According to the late Warring States and Han texts, they were divided into five categories - zhū 銖, liǎng 兩, jīn 斤, jūn 鈞, and shí 石 - but it should be noted that situation was more complicated, and in Warring States times weights differred from state to state. 4. Chuí 錘 refers to the weight. According to FANG YAN, in Han times the word was used in the area of ancient states of Lu and Song; later it came to be used as general word for the weight. 5. Quán 銓, when used in the meaning "scales" is synonymous with chèng 秤, but the word is rare.
黄金貴：古漢語同義詞辨釋詞典
HUANG JINGUI 2006 TRADE 21. 衡，天平，特指天平的衡杆；後泛指桿秤的秤桿。 稱，桿秤，東漢末出現。 權，上古秦漢指天平稱的砝碼；桿秤出現後，也指秤砣。 錘，桿秤的秤砣。 銓，上古時衡器總稱，泛指用來稱物重量的器具，多用於書面語。
Modern Chinese Criteria
秤 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
See also
  • WEIGHTDEGREE of FORCE by which a THING is being NATURALLY PULLED TOWARDS the EARTH.
Hypernym
  • TOOL　ARTEFACT PRODUCED FOR USE USING a DEFINED METHOD. (anc: 5/0, child: 53)
  • ARTEFACT　THING PRODUCED by MAN. (anc: 4/0, child: 26)
  • THING　CONCRETE OBJECT. (anc: 3/0, child: 10)
  • 古辭辨 Gu ci bian ( WANG FENGYANG 1993) p. 284

  • 王力古漢語字典 ( WANG LI 2000) p. 1523

    銓，稱

  • 王力古漢語字典 ( WANG LI 2000) p. 533

    權，衡

    1. The difference between qua2n 權 "weights" and he2ng 衡 "scales as such (without weights)". WL defines qua2n 權 as "秤（秤錘）", and this is confusing on the very core of the distinction, because che4ng 秤 does refer to the whole of the weighing contraption including the weights, not only the weights themselves, the 秤錘.

  • 中國文化背景八千詞 Zhongguo wenhua beijing ba qian ci ( WU SANXING 2008) p. 361

    • Words (7 items)

    衡  héng OC: ɢraaŋ MC: ɦɣaŋ 5 Attributions

    Héng 衡 refers to the whole of the weighing contraption, the scales, but the term does not include a weight.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 權/SCALES Quán 權 refers to the weight. Weights known from the Warring States period are usually made of bronze. According to the late Warring States and Han texts, they were divided into five categories - zhū 銖, liǎng 兩, jīn 斤, jūn鈞, and shí 石 - but it should be noted that situation was more complicated, and in Warring States times weights differred from state to state.

      Syntactic words
    • nscales (without the weights used in weighing things)
    秤  chèng OC: phjɯŋs MC: tɕhɨŋ
    稱  chèng OC: thjɯŋs MC: tɕhɨŋ 2 Attributions

    General word for scales is chèng 秤/ 稱, which occurs already in LSCQ. It refers to the whole implement, i.e. both to the weighing rod and the weight. Today, typical Chinese lever scales consists of the weighing rod and the weight suspended from it. The thing to be weighed is put on the bowl hanged down from the one end of the weighing beam, and its weight is determined by moving the weight till balance between the weight and weighed thing is reached. It seems that this type of scales came to be used only in Tang times. Scales known from the Warring States period consists of the wooden stick with two small bronze bowls suspended from its both sides; the things to be weighed were put on one bowl and weights on the other.

      Syntactic words
    • nchèng: scales with weights used for weighing things
    權概  quán gài OC: ɡron kɯɯds MC: giɛn kəi 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPsteelyard scales
    權衡  quán héng MC: gjwen haeng OC: ɡron ɢraaŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPscalesCH
    銓  quán OC: skhon MC: tshiɛn 0 Attributions

    Quán 銓, when used in the meaning "scales" is synonymous with chèng 秤, but the word is rare.

      Syntactic words
    • nscales
    錘  chuí OC: dol MC: ɖiɛ 0 Attributions

    Chuí 錘 refers to the weight. According to FANG YAN, in Han times the word was used in the area of ancient states of Lu and Song; later it came to be used as general word for the weight.

      Syntactic words
    • nweights (without the scales used to weigh things)
    權  quán OC: ɡron MC: giɛn 0 Attributions

    Quán 權 refers to the weight. Weights known from the Warring States period are usually made of bronze. According to the late Warring States and Han texts, they were divided into five categories - zhū 銖, liǎng 兩, jīn 斤, jūn鈞, and shí 石 - but it should be noted that situation was more complicated, and in Warring States times weights differred from state to state.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 衡/SCALES Héng 衡 refers to the whole of the weighing contraption, the scales, but the term does not include a weight.

      Syntactic words
    • nweights (without the scales used to weigh things)