Additional information about 几
說文解字: 【几】，踞几也。象形。《周禮》五几：玉几、雕几、彤几、䰍几、素几。凡几之屬皆从几。 【居履切】
- Criteria
- MAT
1. The more common word xí 席 refers to a mat used for sitting on, typically in ceremonial contexts. Bì xí 避席 is to leave this kind of sitting mat in order to make a formal pronouncement. A xí 席 may also be placed on a bed.
2. Yán 筵 is specifically the larger carpet-like mat put on the floor on which the xí 席 is placed in turn, but this distinction came to be blurred. The word is very regularly associated with the jī 几 "low table" which one suspects were placed on the yán 筵 alongside with the xí 席 "sitting mat".
3. Rù 褥 refers to a mattress-like padded mat used for sleeping on.
- TABLE
1. Most general word for the table is jǐ 几. According to the character, its main characteristic was crooked legs. The word then refers to two different pieces of furniture both possessing this feature: 1) to the small and very narrow table made usually of wood or bamboo and used for leaning on when sitting (or, more precisely, kneeling); this was put behind one's left side or in front of one, 2) to the low table broader than previous, which was used to put something on. In relation to the latter meaning, the term can be also used as a general term for the following kinds of tables.
2. Àn 案 refers to the low table with oblong desk which was used to put on either dishes or other things, such as books which one reads etc. The table used to the former purpose has the higher rim around the desk. The term came to be used in Han times, but tables of this type are known already from the Warring States period. It is not sometimes easy to distinguish àn 案 from jǐ 几 and there is certain confusion in using both terms.
3. Huán (written like 懁 but with 木 radical) refers to the round table of type to put dishes on.
4. Gé 閣 refers to the wooden table higher than àn 案 which was put among the seats during the feasts and was used to put on dishes to be eaten later. It can have several levels. Later, this table was also used to put on books.
[5. Zǔ 俎 refers to the small sacricifial table which was used to cut and offer meat; mentioned already in SHI.
6. Kuǎn 梡 in LIJI refers to the sacrificial wooden table with four legs; used to put on the whole victim???.
7. Jué 嶡 refers in LIJI to the small sacrificial table with four legs made of wood.
8. Zhì 鑕 refers to the chopping block made of wood, but more often of metal, which was used to carry out an execution by cutting in the waist.
9. Zhēn 砧 refers to the chopping block for executions, and in this sense it began to be used already in the Warring States period. The word originally referred to the stone for pounding silk, but this usage is documented first in the Han.