Abstract:
Vocabulary consists of classified and mutually-related concept words, and a classification of words of the same concept is termed as a semantic field. The concept of stupidity refers to slow reflection and ignorance caused by hypophrenia, while the concept of insanity refers to the state of abnormal thinking or behaviour. The concepts of stupidity and insanity in Zhu Xi’s Notes of Chinese Varieties involved such Chinese words as “stupidity, foolishness, dimness, darkness, confusion, ignorance, rudeness, slowness, obstinacy, rusticity, silliness, savageness, stiffness, craziness, wildness, aggressiveness, mindlessness, frenziness and brain-damage”. All these words make up the syntagmatic network of the words expressing the concepts of Ignorance and insanity.
