姬

姬 U+2F862, 姬 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-2F862 ← 𡛪 CJK Compatibility Ideographs Supplement 娛 →

Translingual

Alternative forms

The character commonly used in Japanese is 姫 (U+59EB). Note that the Korean form is written with 𦣝 as the right component, which is the historical form found in the Kangxi Dictionary.

Han character

姬 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 女尸中中 (VSLL), four-corner 4141₇, composition ⿰女𦣞(GHT) or ⿰女𦣝(K))

Derived characters

• 𩠯

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 260, character 23
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6230
• Dae Jaweon: page 526, character 24
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1049, character 15
• Unihan data for U+59EC

• Unihan data for U+2F862

Chinese

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 姬姓 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• 姬氏 (Cantonese)
• Ki (sèⁿ) (Southern Min)
• Jī (English)

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 姬
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *klɯ, *lɯ) : semantic 女 (“woman; matrilateral family line; family name”) + phonetic 𦣞 ().

Etymology 1

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Zhou dynastic surname

Its eponym was traditionally held to the river 姬 (Jī), which has been identified with the river 汾 (Fén) in Shanxi. However, Pulleyblank (2000) points out that "there seems to be no record of a Ji River outside the myth" of the Yellow Emperor.

Instead, he suggests an etymological connection between "the two intermarrying moieties, a ruling clan and its collateral, wife-supplying counterpart": 姬 (OC *(C)ɰə̀ɰ) and 姜 (*(C)ɰàŋ). He also points to other word-pairs, including 似 (MC ziX, “to resemble”) < *-əɰʔ and 像 (MC zjangX, “to imitate, image”) < *-aŋʔ, which display the phonetic correspondences: *-ɰ vs. *-ŋ as well *-ə- vs. *-a- (ibid.)

lady (ancient laudatory title for women)

According to Yan Shigu (apud Kangxi Dictionary):

"gay"

Homophonous with 基 (jī) or English gay (in Cantonese) and already carrying feminine connotations. Probably influenced by Japanese 姫(ひめ) (hime, “princess”).

Pronunciation

Definitions

姬

1. a surname, used by the ruling family of the House of Zhou

   王姬  ―  Wáng Jī  ―  (historical) Royal (Princess) Ji (formal appellation for various women born out of the royal house of Zhou)

   • 曷不肅雝、王姬之車。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     曷不肃雍、王姬之车。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Hé bù sù yōng, Wáng Jī zhī chē.

     Are they not expressive of reverence and harmony, the carriages of the king's daughter (lit. "the Royal Princess Ji")?

   諸姬／诸姬  ―  zhūjī  ―  (historical) the various Ji (collective appellation for various nobles and states' rulers patrilineally related to the royal house of Zhou)

   • 孌彼諸姬、聊與之謀。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     娈彼诸姬、聊与之谋。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Luán bǐ zhūjī, liáo yǔ zhī móu.

     Admirable are those, my cousins (lit. "the various Ji nobles"); I will take counsel with them.

2. (literary) lady (ancient laudatory title for women)

   • 風吹柳花滿店香，吳姬壓酒喚客嘗。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     风吹柳花满店香，吴姬压酒唤客尝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 李白 Li Bai〈金陵酒肆留別〉"Farewell at a Tavern in Jinling"

     Fēng chuī liǔhuā mǎn diàn xiāng, Wú jī yājiǔ huàn kè cháng.

     The wind blows on the willow-catkins, filling the inn with fragrance; the Wu lady calls out to customers to try newly pressed wine.

3. (mythology) name of a river

   • 黃帝居姬水，以為姓。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     黄帝居姬水，以为姓。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shuowen Jiezi, circa 2^nd century CE

     Huángdì jū Jīshuǐ, yǐwéi xìng.

     The Yellow Thearch dwelt by the Ji river, (whose name) he took as (his) surname.

4. (literary) beauty

   • 沛公居山東時，貪於財貨，好美姬。今入關，財物無所取，婦女無所幸。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     沛公居山东时，贪于财货，好美姬。今入关，财物无所取，妇女无所幸。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Pèigōng jū Shāndōng shí, tān yú cáihuò, hào měijī. Jīn rù guān, cáiwù wú suǒqǔ, fùnǚ wú suǒxìng.

     When Lord of Pei was in Shandong, he coveted riches and desired beauties. Yet now that he has entered Guan, he has not confiscated wealth, nor has he lusted after women."

5. (literary) concubine

   • 莊襄王為秦質子於趙，見呂不韋姬，悅而取之，生始皇。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     庄襄王为秦质子于赵，见吕不韦姬，悦而取之，生始皇。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Zhuāngxiāng wáng wèi Qín zhìzǐ yú Zhào, jiàn lǚ bùwéi jī, yuè ér qǔ zhī, shēng Shǐhuáng.

     When King Zhuangxiang was a Qin hostage in Zhao, he saw Lü Buwei's concubine, he fell in love with her and married her; she gave birth to the First Emperor.

6. (neologism, slang) Synonym of 基 (jī, “gay”), with a feminine connotation; lesbian

   搞姬  ―  gǎojī  ―  to engage in lesbian activities

Synonyms

Compounds

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Definitions

姬

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Japanese

Kanji

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

1. alternative form of 姫

Readings

• Go-on: き (ki)
• Kan-on: き (ki)
• Kun: ひめ (hime, 姬)
• Nanori: こひめ (kohime); ひめさき (himesaki); ぷりんせす (purinsesu); れもん (remon)
  Note: the nanori readings ぷりんせす (Purinsesu) and れもん (Remon) are so-called キラキラネーム (kirakira nēmu).

Definitions

(The following entry is uncreated: 姫.)

Korean

Hanja

姬 • (hui) (hangeul 희, revised hui, McCune–Reischauer hŭi, Yale huy)

1. woman

Vietnamese

Han character

姬: Hán Nôm readings: cơ

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.