百姓

Chinese

Etymology

Earliest attested in the Zhou dynasty's texts (also written as 百生 (bǎixìng ~ bǎishēng) on some bronze inscriptions); further linked to the expression 多生 (duōshēng) on the oracle bone inscriptions.

Pronunciation

2=Mandarin "bóxìng" (literary varient?)

(Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?)

Noun

百姓

1. the common people; the masses; ordinary citizens

   愚昧百姓  ―  yúmèi bǎixìng  ―  to keep the common people in the dark

   • 群黎百姓、徧為爾德。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     群黎百姓、徧为尔德。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Qúnlí bǎixìng, biàn wéi ěr dé.

     The black-haired populace – the hundred clans – universally practise your virtue.

   • 憂心如酲、誰秉國成？不自為政、卒勞百姓。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     忧心如酲、谁秉国成？不自为政、卒劳百姓。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

     Yōuxīn rú chéng, shéi bǐng guóchéng? Bù zì wéizhèng, zú láo bǎixìng.

     My heart grieves, as though drunken; who's presiding over the state's ordering? (The king) himself governs not, and ends up wearing out the hundred clans.

   • 奴才替天下百姓感激皇太后恩典！ [MSC, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Firmament of the Pleiades

     Núcái tì tiānxià bǎixìng gǎnjī huángtàihòu ēndiǎn!

     I, on behalf of the people throughout the world, express my gratitude for the kindness of the empress dowager!

2. (obsolete, Classical) all kinds of government officials

   • 九族既睦，平章百姓。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Book of Documents, circa 4^th – 3^rd century BCE

     Jiǔzú jì mù, píngzhāng bǎixìng.

     The nine family branches were then close kin; the hundred surnames were made even and distinguished.

   • 一人刑善，百姓休和。可不務乎？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     一人刑善，百姓休和。可不务乎？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translation from Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" (2017), by Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li and David Schaberg

     Yīrén xíng shàn, bǎixìng xiūhé. Kě bù wù hū?

     One person took the good as model, and there was calm and harmony among the hundred clans. Can one do anything other than strive for it?

Synonyms

• (common people):

• (all kinds of government officials):

Derived terms

Descendants

Others:

• → Vietnamese: trăm họ (calque)
• → Zhuang: beksingq

References

Japanese

Etymology 1

From Middle Chinese compound 百姓 (paek sjeng^H, literally “hundred clans”). Compare modern Hakka 百姓 (pak-siang).

The goon reading, so likely an earlier borrowing.

First cited to the 続日本紀 (Shoku Nihongi) in a portion dated to 701 CE.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ひゃくしょ​ー (Nakadaka – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

百(ひゃく)姓(しょう) • (hyakushō) ^{←ひやくしやう (fyakusyau)?}

1. (historical or derogatory) a farmer; a peasant; the peasantry in general

   Synonyms: 農民, 農家

   きさま、百(ひゃく)姓(しょう)の生(う)まれだな？

   Kisama, hyakushō no umare da na?

   You are from a peasant family, aren't you?

   1. (derogatory) country bumpkin
   2. (historical) in reference to the Edo period, short for 本百姓 (honbyakushō, “the hundred commoner families”, a class of farmers with specific rights and responsibilities)
2. (archaic) commoners, the common people; the masses; ordinary citizens

   Synonyms: 公民, 民衆

Synonyms

• (the people): 大御宝(おおみたから) (ōmitakara) (poetic)
• (bumpkin): 田舎者(いなかもの) (inakamono)

Idioms

Derived terms

Verb

百(ひゃく)姓(しょう)する • (hyakushō suru) ^{←ひやくしやう (fyakusyau)?}suru (stem 百(ひゃく)姓(しょう)し (hyakushō shi), past 百(ひゃく)姓(しょう)した (hyakushō shita))

1. to farm, to till the fields

Conjugation

Etymology 2

] reading of both characters, influenced by later borrowing from Middle Chinese.

Cited to the mid-Muromachi period, roughly the 1400s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

百(はく)姓(せい) • (hakusei) 

1. (rare) See under Etymology 1

Etymology 3

] reading of the second character, influenced by later borrowing from Middle Chinese.

First cited to a text from 1776.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ひゃくせー (Heiban – )
• IPA^(key):

Noun

百(ひゃく)姓(せい) • (hyakusei) ^{←ひやくせい (fyakusei)?}

1. (rare) See under Etymology 1

Etymology 4

Non-palatalized variant of hyakushō reading, commonly found in writings from the Heian period through the Muromachi period.

First cited to the Utsubo Monogatari of roughly 999 CE.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Noun

百姓(ひゃくそう) • (hyakusō) ^{←ひやくさう (fyakusau)?}

1. (obsolete) See under Etymology 1

References

Korean

Noun

百姓 • (baekseong) (hangeul 백성)

1. Hanja form^? of 백성 (“The populace; the common people”).

Vietnamese

Noun

百姓

1. chữ Hán form of bá tánh (“the commoners; the common folk; the citizens”).