Definitions
(noun)
high ranking official (ancient)
(noun)
term of endearment between spouses (classical); honorific term of address
Etymology
About
The character 卿, maintaining a consistent form across centuries, originates from an early pictographic concept depicting two figures facing each other across a ritual vessel, symbolizing a ceremonial feast or mutual reverence. This concrete imagery gradually shifted toward denoting a social role, specifically that of a high-ranking minister or noble who participated in state banquets and counseled the ruler, with its structural components 卯 and 卩 deriving from stylized representations of those opposing figures, though their original semantic transparency has diminished over time. The term's meaning expanded from a formal title for aristocracy in ancient administrative contexts to a flexible form of address, used both honorifically by emperors toward favored officials and intimately as a term of endearment in classical poetry and literature, thereby preserving a core sense of respectful association while adapting to evolving linguistic and social norms.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
国务卿出席了会议。
他是著名的国务卿。
新任国务卿来自纽约。
卿在古时指高级官员。
她温柔地称他为卿。
国王对卿说：“谢谢你的忠诚。”
这位国务卿推动了和平谈判。
在历史剧中，演员扮演的卿角色很出色。