FRAGRANT    香香

EXCELLENT ODOUR.
FRAGRANCESWEET-SCENTEDSWEET-SMELLINGSCENTEDPERFUMEDAROMATICODORIFEROUSODIFEROUSPERFUMY
Old Chinese Criteria
1. Xiāng 香 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking") is orginally the scent of grain, and the meaning of the word was generalised to refer to any pleasant smell, especially also that of foodstuffs. NB: chòu 臭 is often neutral in classical Chinese and can refer to pleasant as well as unpleasant smells. However, there are cases where the word clearly describes something as evil-smelling and not only refers to what actually happens to be an evil smell. 2. The general poetic term for fragrance of flowers or grasses is fāng 芳 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking"), and the word never refers to the fragrance of any artefact. 3. Xūn 薰 refers to an almost pungent strong fragrance. 4. Fēn 芬 is a rare rather colourless term for attractive smell. 5. Xīng 馨 refers to a striking fragrance speading far and wide.
黄金貴：古漢語同義詞辨釋詞典
HUANG JINGUI 2006 FOOD 13. 芳香味。 香，通稱，特指穀糧的香味。 芳，形容草木固有的芳香。 芬，草木散發的芳香。 馨，散發很遠的香味。 馥，濃郁的芳香。
Modern Chinese Criteria
香 噴香 香噴噴 馥馥 芳香 芬芬 芬芳 芳菲 芬菲 菲菲 清香 馨香 異香 香澤 薌澤 芳澤 香氣撲鼻 芳香撲鼻 芬芳馥郁 如蘭之馨 如入芝蘭之室 rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／
Antonym
  • STINKODOUR which HUMANS TEND to HATE.
See also
Hypernym
  • ODOUR　The APPEARANCE of something which one CAN SMELL. (anc: 5/0, child: 2)
  • APPEARANCE　CLEAR:visible BUT SUBJECTIVELY PERCEIVED FEATURES. (anc: 4/0, child: 6)
  • FEATURE　ABSTRACT OBJECT a THING is SAID to BE OR to HAVE. (anc: 3/0, child: 19)
  • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 15.25

  • 王力古漢語字典 ( WANG LI 2000) p. 1675

    芳，香

    1. The point is that fa1ng 芳 refers to natural fragrance and xia1ng 香 comes increasingly to refer to artificial fragrance or intended fragrance.

  • 古漢語常用詞同義詞詞典 ( HONG CHENGYU 2009) p. 222

    • Words (17 items)

    香  xiāng OC: qhaŋ MC: hi̯ɐŋ 12 Attributions

    Xiāng 香 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking") is orginally the scent of grain, and the meaning of the word was generalised to refer to any pleasant smell, especially also that of foodstuffs. NB: chòu 臭 is often neutral in classical Chinese and can refer to pleasant as well as unpleasant smells. However, there are cases where the word clearly describes something as evil-smelling and not only refers to what actually happens to be an evil smell.

      Word relations
    • Ant: 臭/STINK The current general and abstract word for odours of all kinds, pleasant or unpleasant, is chòu 臭.
    • Assoc: 芬/FRAGRANT Fēn 芬 is a rare rather colourless term for attractive smell.

      Syntactic words
    • nabfeaturescent, fragrance; perfume; incense
    • nmperfume
    • vadNfragrant, of pleasant smell
    • vichangebecome fragrant
    芳  fāng OC: phaŋ MC: phi̯ɐŋ 10 Attributions

    The general poetic term for fragrance of flowers or grasses is fāng 芳 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking"), and the word never refers to the fragrance of any artefact.

      Syntactic words
    • nabfeaturefragrance
    • nabfeaturemoral fragrance> moral excellence
    • nsubjectwhat is fragrant
    • vadNnon-restrictive often figurative: fragrant> exquisite
    • vibe naturally fragrant> exquisite
    馨  xīn OC: qheeŋ MC: heŋ 4 Attributions

    Xīng 馨 refers to a striking fragrance speading far and wide.

      Syntactic words
    • vadNfigurativefragrant
    • viZUO Xi 5: spreading fragrance far and wide
    馨香  xīn xiāng OC: qheeŋ qhaŋ MC: heŋ hi̯ɐŋ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VP[adN]all manner of fragrant things (sacrificial offerings)
    • VPadNfragrant
    • VPadNfigurativefragrant
    芬芳  fēn fāng OC: phɯn phaŋ MC: phi̯un phi̯ɐŋ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPabfeaturefragrance
    芬  fēn OC: phɯn MC: phi̯un 1 Attribution

    Fēn 芬 is a rare rather colourless term for attractive smell.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 香/FRAGRANT Xiāng 香 (ant. chòu 臭 "stinking") is orginally the scent of grain, and the meaning of the word was generalised to refer to any pleasant smell, especially also that of foodstuffs. NB: chòu 臭 is often neutral in classical Chinese and can refer to pleasant as well as unpleasant smells. However, there are cases where the word clearly describes something as evil-smelling and not only refers to what actually happens to be an evil smell.

      Syntactic words
    • nabfigurative: "moral" fragrance, elevated spirit
    • vibe fragrant
    薌  xiāng OC: qhaŋ MC: hi̯ɐŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • nabfeaturefragrance of grain
    薰  xūn OC: qhun MC: hi̯un 1 Attribution

    Xūn 薰 refers to an almost pungent strong fragrance.

      Syntactic words
    • nsubjectwhat is fragrant
    • vtoNcausativemake fragrant
    飶  bì OC: biɡ MC: bit 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vifragrant (food)
    馥  fù OC: buɡ MC: buk 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • nnabfigurativeaesthetic fragranceCH
    • vipost-Han?, Lu Ji, wenfu: be intensely fragrant
    芬馥  fēn fù OC: phɯn buɡ MC: phi̯un buk 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • VPiBUDDH ?? fragrant; skr. gandha; gandha-saṃpanna LOTUS(B): 65b13 諸華芬馥
    芬香  fēn xiāng OC: phɯn qhaŋ MC: phi̯un hi̯ɐŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NP{N1=N2}nonreferentialfragrant things
    菲菲  fēi fēi OC: phɯl phɯl MC: phɨi phɨi 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • vi.redbe very fragrant
    苾  bì OC: biɡ MC: bit 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vifragrant (SHI)
    菲  fēi OC: phɯl MC: phɨi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vibe fragrant
    鬱  yù OC: qud MC: ʔi̯ut 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • nfragrant herb
    • nadNfragrant; smelling like fragrant herbs
    芬氣  fēn qì OC: phɯn khɯds MC: phi̯un khɨi 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPabBUDDH ?? fragrance