Definitions
tribute paid by Han dynasty tribes
Etymology
About
The character 賨 is a phono-semantic compound, with the semantic radical 貝 (bèi) representing cowry shells, and by extension wealth or tribute, and the phonetic component 宗 (zōng) providing its pronunciation. Its original meaning refers to a specific tax or tribute paid by southern and southwestern ethnic minorities in ancient China, particularly around present-day Sichuan and Hunan. The structure connects the idea of taxation directly to wealth via the shell radical. Over time, the term also became an ethnonym for the people who paid this tribute, known as the Cong people. Its usage is largely historical, appearing mainly in classical texts and historical geographic records.
Etymology Hide
