Definitions
ancient bronze wine holder with 3 legs and loop handle; nobility
Etymology
Pictograph of a type of vessel used to serve warm wine during ancestor worship ceremonies. Based on the original meaning "wine-warming vessel". The meaning of this character has shifted over time and now means "fedual title or rank".
About
The character "爵" finds its origin in a pictographic depiction of a three-legged wine vessel employed in ritual offerings, with its structural composition suggesting elements related to grasping and ceremonial libation. Initially representing the physical vessel itself, a central object in Zhou dynasty ancestral rites, the term underwent a semantic expansion where it came to signify the aristocratic rank bestowed upon those entitled to perform such rituals. This transition from a concrete noun for a ritual utensil to an abstract noun denoting a title of nobility is integral to the character's historical development, a shift encapsulated within its enduring traditional form.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
他是一位公爵。
这位伯爵很富有。
他继承了父亲的爵位。
我喜欢听爵士乐。
爵士音乐非常动听。
国王授予他伯爵爵位。
虽然他是公爵，但他生活简朴。
在近代历史上，爵位逐渐失去了政治权力。