小康

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• 小康

From the Book of Rites, Book 9 (《禮記·禮運》):

……如有不由此者，在埶者去，衆以為殃，是謂小康。

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……如有不由此者，在埶者去，众以为殃，是谓小康。

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

...... Rú yǒu bù yóu cǐ zhě, zài shì zhě qù, zhòng yǐ wéi yāng, shì wèi xiǎokāng.

Any rulers who did not follow this course were driven away by those who possessed power and position, and all regarded them as pests. This is the period of what we call Small Tranquillity.

Alternatively, from the Classic of Poetry, Poem 253 《詩經•大雅•民勞》:

民亦勞止，汔可小康。惠此中國，以綏四方。

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民亦劳止，汔可小康。惠此中国，以绥四方。

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

Mín yì láo zhǐ, qì kě xiǎokāng. Huì cǐ zhōngguó, yǐ suí sìfāng.

The people indeed are heavily burdened,
But perhaps a little ease may be got for them.
Let us cherish this centre of the kingdom,
To secure the repose of the four quarters of it.

小康

1. (Chinese philosophy) Confucian near-ideal state of society; period of peace and prosperity
2. (modern uses) comparatively good living standards; moderate affluence

/seukau/ → /ɕeukau/ → /ɕeukɔː/ → /ɕoːkoː/

From Middle Chinese compound 小康 (sjew^X khang, literally “small + tranquil”). Compare modern Cantonese siu² hong¹ or Mandarin xiǎokāng.

• (Tokyo) しょーこー (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

小(しょう)康(こう) • (shōkō) ^{←せうかう (seukau)?}

1. a lull, a respite, a breathing spell, a short time of peace

• 小康状態(しょうこうじょうたい) (shōkō jōtai): a state of reduced activity