Taxonomy of meanings for 爵:　　

Additional information about 爵

說文解字:

Criteria
• LAMP
  

  1. The current general term for a lamp is dēng 燈, and it refers to the vessel (which itself is also written dēng 鐙 ) containing oil, fat, or even melted wax, usually made of metal. Most common were lamps resembling a bowl on a high foot. The bowl was filled with fat or oil which was either burnt itself, or in the centre there was fixed a torch, made ussually of hemp stalks or reed, which was burnt. The lamp came to use in the early Warring States period, and became very common in Han times.

  2. Gāng dēng 釭燈 refers to the lamp with a hollow space for smoke; that the term actually refers to this kind of a lamp is supported by several inscriptions on Han lamps.

  3. Dēng 鐙 is another term for dēng 燈, but the word refers specifically to the vessel itself.

  4. Liáo 燎 refers to a large torch standing on the floor; it was used particularly to illuminate courtyards of the palaces; hence also referred to as tíng liáo 庭燎. Mentioned already in SHIJING.

  5. Jù 炬 refers to the torch.

  6. Jué 爝 refers to a torch; according to HUANG it should be a small torch, but this suggestion is based only on the possible connotations of the compound 爵.]

  7. Là zhú 蠟燭 is the post-Buddhist word for a wax candle. Note that bees were not raised in ancient China, therefore candles were rather valuable artefacts. See CANDLE.

• RANK
  

  1. The most general term for relative rank of any kind in any walk of life is děng 等.

  2. Jiē 階, jí 級. and the rarer bān 班 are general terms referring to a person's position in the bureaucratic hierarchy.

  3. Wèi 位 and the rarer liè 列 typically refer to relatively elevated official ranks only.

  4. Jué 爵 refers specifically to noble rank.

  5. Shàng 上 is occasionally used to refer to leading position.

• CUP
  

  1. Bēi 杯 in Warring States and Han times referred to a shallow oval bowl with two ears used for wine, soup, broth etc.; it was made of lacquered wood, bronze, earthenware, jade, silver, and even glass. According to HUANG (1995: 951 - 952), the term was in that period also used for the deep beaker on a foot to drink wine from, which is known from archaeological finds; in textual evidence, there is no firm proof of it, but as regards the shape of the vessel which could only be used for drinking, it is highly probable.

  2. Shāng 觴 is in late Warring States and Han times general term for a wine cup. It can often refer to bēi 杯. HUANG 1995: 955 - 956.

  3. Y3ǔ shāng 羽觴 (?? in HANYU DACIDIAN as hù shāng: see vol. 9, pp. 641) is mentioned as a wine cup in the texts of the late Warring States and Han periods; perhaps another term for bēi 杯 with two ears.

  4. Zhī 卮　refers to the round cylindrical wine cup made of wood, lacquare, bronze, silver, or pottery:

  5. Zhǎn 醆 / 盞 is in Han times rare term for small bēi 杯 (mentioned in FANGYAN).

  6. Zhuó 酌 is a general term for a wine cup.

  7. Jué 爵 is the term for Shang and Western Zhou bronze tripod with long spout to drink wine from, which was used on ceremonial occasions. Shape of the character read now as jué 爵 in the oracle bone and bronze inscriptions obviously refers to this kind of cup. There are also pottery vessels of this shape known from the Shang period. In late Western Zhou times, this type of vessel came out of use. Jué 爵 mentioned in the Eastern Zhou and Han texts can refer to each type of wine cup; according to Han sources jué 爵 should have room for one shēng 升 of wine[??? it seems to me that jué 爵 in the Eastern Zhou sometimes refers to the certain amount of wine drunk at once rather than to the concrete wine vessel???.

  8. Jiǎ 斝 is generally used as a term for a bronze vessel with three legs and round opening which was used to heat and serve wine. This type of vessel was common in the Shang and Western Zhou periods and came out of use in the late Western Zhou. Attribution of the name to this kind of vessel is not certain, but probable. In the Eastern Zhou and Han texts, jiǎ 斝 refers to the wine vessel, the content of which should be greater than in the case of jué 爵. [???The word seems to be rather rare in the Eastern Zhou and Han, and it occurs (except one mention in ZUO] in texts like YILI, SHUOWEN, as well as in commentaries; it cannot be thus excluded that its usage is some kind of archaization.

  9. Sǎn 散 refers to the same kind of vessel as jiǎ 斝.

  10. Jiǎo 角 occurs rarely in the Eastern Zhou and Han texts, and it should refer to some kind of cup made originally of an animal horn or resembling it in a shape. Identification of this vessel remains uncertain, although there are horn-like vessels known from the Shang down to the Han. In archaeology, jiǎo 角 is used for the bronze wine tripod similar in a shape to jué 爵 but with two identical spouts on the opposite sides of an opening; this vessel was in use from the Shang down to the Western Zhou period.

  11. Gū 觚 in the Eastern Zhou and Han texts refers to some kind of vessel with edges. Its identification is uncertain. In archeology, the term is used for the trumpet-like bronze cup which is known from the Shang and Western Zhou periods. There are also lacquered and pottery vessels of this type.

  12. Gōng or guāng 觥 in SHIJING obviously refers to the drinking cup made of the rhinoceros horn or shaped like it. Later, it can be used for a large cup. In archaeology, the term traditionally refers to the large animal-like shaped bronze vessel known from the Shang and Western Zhou periods; but this attribution is probably mistaken.

  13. Kē 搕 is a kind of (probably ordinary) cup to drink from referred to in ZUO.

Word relations
• Epithet: (RANK)尊/NOBLE Zūn 尊 (ant. bēi 卑 "lowly, vulgar") is the current word for publicly recognised objective nobility and high status, and the word refers to objective social status in society. [ELEVATED], [HIGH-DEGREE], [OBJECTIVE], [PUBLIC], [SOCIAL] 1 Attribution
• Contrast: (RANK)官/OFFICE The standard and very current general word for any elevated bureaucratic office, civil or military, is guān 官 (the original meaning of which refers to the building housing the office-holders office). 1 Attribution
• Contrast: (RANK)祿/SALARY The general word for apanages, emoluments or salaries received by any person of high status is lù 祿. 1 Attribution
• Assoc: (RANK)官/OFFICE The standard and very current general word for any elevated bureaucratic office, civil or military, is guān 官 (the original meaning of which refers to the building housing the office-holders office). 3 Attributions
• Assoc: (RANK)位/RANK Wèi 位 and the rarer liè 列 typically refer to relatively elevated official ranks only. 2 Attributions
• Assoc: (RANK)祿/SALARY The general word for apanages, emoluments or salaries received by any person of high status is lù 祿. 8 Attributions