WITHER    枯萎枯

CHANGE so as to BECOME INTENSELY DRY.
SHRIVEL (UP)DRY UPWILTDROOPGO LIMPFADEPERISHSHRINKWASTE AWAYATROPHY
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The current general word for anything drying up or withering down, also anything like fish which because of lack of water starts rotting, is kū 枯 (ant. rùn 潤 "moist and lush" and róng 榮 "flourish and thrive"). 2. Gǎo 槁 refers specifically to the withering of plants, or to their withered state. The combination kū gǎo 枯槁 is idiomatic. 3. Wěi 萎 (ant. shèng 盛 "rich and flourishing") refers to plants (and in a transferred usually permanent sense male sexual organs!) shrivilling up and drying out. 4. Diāo 凋 (ant. mào 茂 "be flourishing") refers to whole plants withering and losing their leaves as a result, but the word may also refer to the loss of leaved because of frost. 5. Luò 落 refers abstractly and colourlessly to trees losing their leaves. 6. Líng 零 refers in a more dramatic way to plants other than trees losing their leaves.
Modern Chinese Criteria
凋謝 萎謝 凋落 凋零 凋殘 零落 衰落 衰敗 枯萎 枯槁 乾枯 焦枯 枯 萎縮 萎蔫 蔫 謝 凋 敗 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
Antonym
  • FLOURISHTo GROW so as to BECOME STRONG AND ABUNDANT.
Hypernym
  • 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)
  • REALITY　EXIST and NOT ONLY BE IMAGINED. (anc: 7/0, child: 5)
  • 王力古漢語字典 ( WANG LI 2000) p. 470

    枯，槁

    1. An important difference is that while ku1 枯 can refer more broadly to anything that dries out and rots, like fish, ga3o 槁 is more strictly restricted to the withering of trees.

    • Words (22 items)

    槁  gǎo OC: khoowʔ MC: khɑu 25 Attributions

    Gǎo 槁 refers specifically to the withering of plants, or to their withered state. The combination kū gǎo 枯槁 is idiomatic.

      Syntactic words
    • nsubjectwhat is withered and dry
    • vadNwithered, dried (of wood, earth, fish, skull)
    • vichangeto wither, to dry up (and die)
    枯  kū OC: khaa MC: khuo̝ 18 Attributions

    The current general word for anything drying up or withering down, also anything like fish which because of lack of water starts rotting, is kū 枯 (ant. rùn 潤 "moist and lush" and róng 榮 "flourish and thrive").

      Syntactic words
    • nsubjectwhat is whithered; what is rotten
    • vadNwithered (of wood); dried (fish); fleshless (of bones); dried-up (of marshes)
    • vichangeof trees: wither and die
    • vifigurativefade, droop (e.g. appearance)LZ
    枯槁  kū gǎo OC: khaa khoowʔ MC: khuo̝ khɑu 14 Attributions

    Kū 枯 is the current general word for anything drying up or withering down, also anything like fish which because of lack of water starts rotting, gǎo 槁 refers specifically to the withering of plants, or to their withered state. The combination kū gǎo 枯槁 is idiomatic.

      Syntactic words
    • NPsubjectwhat is all shrivelled and dry
    • VPadNfigurativewithered and dissiccated
    • VPadVfigurativeall shrivelled up
    • VPibe all shirivelled and emaciated
    • VPichangewither away; become emaciated
    萎  wěi OC: qrol MC: ʔiɛ 6 Attributions

    Wěi 萎 (ant. shèng 盛 "rich and flourishing") refers to plants (and in a transferred usually permanent sense male sexual organs!) shrivilling up and drying out.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 枯 / 枯㱠/DRY Gǎo 槁 and kū 枯 (ant. rùn 潤 "lush") are common words referring specifically to dryness of trees and sometimes other plants.

      Syntactic words
    • vifigurative(of persons) be "withered, dissicated"
    • viprocessshrivel; wither and rot away; be rotten and completely dead
    落  luò OC: ɡ-raaɡ MC: lɑk 6 Attributions

    Luò 落 refers abstractly and colourlessly to trees losing their leaves.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 殂 / 徂/DIE Hōng 薨 and cú 殂/徂 refers to the death of a senior official.

      Syntactic words
    • viprocess(of trees) shed one's leaves; fall down and wither; fall on the ground (fruits)
    消  xiāo OC: smew MC: siɛu 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vifigurative: lose living energyCH
    • viprocessdwindle; wither away
    • vtoNcausativecause (oneself) to wither>decline
    枯死  kū sǐ OC: khaa pliʔ MC: khuo̝ si 4 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPiresultativewither so as to die; shrivel away and die
    零  líng OC: ɡ-reeŋ MC: leŋ 2 Attributions

    Líng 零 refers in a more dramatic way to plants other than trees losing their leaves.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 落/FALL Luò 落 is a rare word which usually refers to the falling of leaves from trees.

      Syntactic words
    • viprocessto wither
    • vtoNprocess(of non-trees) shed leaves
    凋  diāo OC: tɯɯw MC: teu
    彫  diāo OC: tɯɯw MC: teu 2 Attributions

    Diāo 凋 (ant. mào 茂 "be flourishing") refers to whole plants withering and losing their leaves as a result, but the word may also refer to the loss of leaved because of frost.

      Syntactic words
    • vadNwithered
    • vichangewither because of frostgenerally: wither
    肅  sù OC: sɯwɡ MC: suk 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • viwither
    腊  xī OC: sqaɡ MC: siɛk 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vichangeturn into dried meat> shrivel up
    苓  líng OC: ɡ-reeŋ MC: leŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vt[oN]make things wither or fade; make things lifeless
    萎黃  wěi huáng OC: qrol ɡʷaaŋ MC: ʔiɛ ɦɑŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPiresultativewither so as to turn all brown
    萎落  wěi luò OC: qrol ɡ-raaɡ MC: ʔiɛ lɑk 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPiresultativewither so as to fall off (of leaves etc)
    蔫  niān OC: qan MC: ʔi̯ɐn 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • viprocessfade, wither
    菸邑  yù yì OC: qas qrɯb MC: ʔi̯ɤ ʔip 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPiCC: be all dried-up and almost but not completely dead
    零落  líng luò OC: ɡ-reeŋ ɡ-raaɡ MC: leŋ lɑk 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPfigurativefall to the ground, as if withered
    • VPiprocessshrivel way; wither and fall off
    寒  hán OC: ɡaan MC: ɦɑn 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • viprocesswither from cold
    彫  diāo OC: tɯɯw MC: teu 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • viwither (for 凋)
    萎敗  wěi bài OC: qrol braads MC: ʔiɛ bɣɛi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPifigurativewither so as to be ruined
    萎枯  wěi kū OC: qrol khaa MC: ʔiɛ khuo̝ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPiresultativewither so as to become quite parched
    凋零  diāo líng OC: tɯɯw ɡ-reeŋ MC: teu leŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPibe withered