耆

qí

日 + 老

Definitions

qí man of sixty or seventy

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 老 represents the meaning and 旨 represents the sound.

Semantic: 老 Phonetic: 日

About

耆 is a formal literary term for an elderly person, traditionally one who has reached sixty, and it conveys deep veneration. The character combines the top portion of 老 (lǎo) "old" (written as 耂) with 旨 (zhǐ) beneath. 老 provides the meaning of advanced age, while 旨 gives the pronunciation. Some interpretations also see in 旨 a suggestion of savory food or refined tastes, linking it to the dignity of elders. The character appears chiefly in formal compounds and historical texts, rarely in everyday speech.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

村里的耆老很有智慧。

Cūn li de qí lǎo hěn yǒu zhìhuì.

The elders in the village are very wise.

我们应当尊重社区里的耆宿。

Wǒmen yīngdāng zūnzhòng shèqū li de qí sù.

We should respect the venerable elders in the community.

这位老先生是本地德高望重的耆绅。

Zhè wèi lǎo xiānsheng shì běndì dé gāo wàng zhòng de qí shēn.

This old gentleman is a locally respected and virtuous elder.

政府为耆年人士提供了多项福利。

Zhèngfǔ wèi qí nián rénshì tígōng le duō xiàng fúlì.

The government provides multiple welfare benefits for elderly people.

他是国学界的耆硕，著作等身。

Tā shì guóxué jiè de qí shuò, zhùzuò děngshēn.

He is a revered elder in the field of Chinese studies, with a vast body of work.

拜访耆旧可以听到很多过去的故事。

Bàifǎng qí jiù kěyǐ tīng dào hěn duō guòqù de gùshi.

Visiting old veterans allows one to hear many stories of the past.

这位耆艾之年的长者依然精神矍铄。

Zhè wèi qí ài zhī nián de zhǎngzhě yīrán jīngshén juéshuò.

This elder of advanced age is still spirited and vigorous.

随着社会老龄化，耆英群体的需求备受关注。

Suízhe shèhuì lǎolíng huà, qí yīng qúntǐ de xūqiú bèi shòu guānzhù.

With the aging of society, the needs of the elderly community are receiving much attention.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 日

Component: 老

耆