Taxonomy of meanings for 祀:　　

  • 祀 sì (OC: sɢlɯʔ MC: zɨ) 詳里切 上 廣韻：【年也又祭祀 】
    • SACRIFICE
      • nOBI 2, Period V: ritual cycle. By Period V the ritual cycle occupied practially all of the year.
      • nab.t:post-NN=indirOBJsacrifice to N
      • nabactsacrifice
      • viactcarry out the yearly sacrifices symbolic of the continuance of the state, directed to (the deceased ruler)
      • vt+prep+Nsacrifice to N
      • vtoNcarry out the yearly sacrifices symbolic of the continuance of the state, directed to (the deceased ruler etc); offer sacrifices to (a mountain etc)
      • vtt(oN1.)+N2sacrifice the contextually determinate N1 to N2
      • vttoN1:postvtoN2sacrifice N2 to N1
      • VPiactconduct the di4 sacrifice
      • place>TEMPLE
        • npost-NN's ancestor temple DS
      • time defined by>YEAR
        • narchaic, rare, SHU: year

    Additional information about 祀

    說文解字: 【祀】，祭無巳也。从示、巳聲。 【詳里切】 【禩】，祀或从異。

      Criteria
    • SACRIFICE

      1. The most general word for making sacrificial offerings of wine and food to spirits of Heaven, of Earth and to the ancestors (perhaps primarily to the spirits of Earth and of the ancestors) is jì 祭 which has become the most common word in Warring States times, replacing sì 祀, which was more common in SHU and SHI.

      2. Sì4 祀 is an archaic word which refers to the making of sacrificial offerings of wine and food to the spirits of Heaven, of Earth and to the ancestors, perhaps primarily and originally to the spirits of Heaven.

      3. Xiǎng 饗／享 refers to making sacrificial offerings in the form of food to one's ancestors.

      4. Diàn 奠 refers specifically to making formal sacrifices to the deceased not too long after his death.

      5. Là 臘 refers specifically to the winter sacrifice to Heaven and Earth.

      6. Fēng 封 refers to an imperial sacrifice to the spirits of Heaven at mount Taishan, where an altar had to be established for the occasion.

      7. Shàn 禪 refers specifically to the imperial sacrifice to the spirits of the Earth at the foot of mount Taishan,.

      8. Wàng 望 refers to sacrifices to the spirits of mountains and streams.

      9. Yì 瘞 refers to placing something (typically jade, or domestic animals) in the ground as part of or as a form of sacrifice to a deceased person.

      10. Lèi 酹 refers to the pouring of libations of wine on the ground.

    • YEAR

      1. The most current general word for the year is the basically agricultural nián 年. This word can refer to the years of age as well as to the time-span of a year as such. After a number word nián 年 always refers to a number of years as such and not to a person's age.

      2. Suì 歲, named after the star Juppiter, can refer to years in general, but after a number word suì 歲 typically refers to years of age and not to number of years as such. (Cf. 年十三歲 )This term is astronomical in origin and defines the year primarily in terms of the revolutions of the planets.

      3. Zǎi 載, probably named after the recurrent period of growth (cái 才 ) refers quite generally to the length of a year as such, and never to years of age.

      4. Sì 祀 is an archaic periphrastic way of referring to the year as defined by the annual sacrifices.

      5. Qiū 秋, more rarely and later also chūn 春 are occasionally used in elevated stylistic contexts to refer to a year.

      6. Chūn qiū 春秋 refers specifically to years of age.

      Word relations
    • Object: (SACRIFICE)絕/STOP Jué 絕 (ant. jì 繼 "continue") is to disrupt one's current (human) activity, and fèi 廢 (ant. qín 勤 "continue to make a serioues effort") is to discontinue such an acitivity permanently.
    • Assoc: (SACRIFICE)祭/SACRIFICE The most general word for making sacrificial offerings of wine and food to spirits of Heaven, of Earth and to the ancestors (perhaps primarily to the spirits of Earth and of the ancestors) is jì 祭 which has become the most common word in Warring States times, replacing sì 祀, which was more common in SHU and SHI.