Taxonomy of meanings for 祭:　　

  • 祭 jì (OC: skeds MC: tsiɛi) 子例切 去 廣韻：【享也祀也薦也至也察也子例切七 】
    • SACRIFICE
      • nabactsacrifice
      • nadNsacrificial; sacred because connected with ritual performances
      • vt[oN]engage in sacrifice(s) to relevant spirits
      • vt.csacrifice
      • vt(oN)sacrifice to the contextually determinate object
      • vt+prep+NOBI 5: (Periods I-II) conduct a meat sacrifice to
      • vtoNobject=deitysacrifice to (specifically to the spirits of the Earth) with wine, grain, and meat[also: sacrifice (something)][CA]
      • vtoNobject=sacrificesacrifice
      • vtoNN=placeperform sacrifice at the place NDS
      • vtt(oN1.)+prep+N2sacrifice to the contextually determinate N1 with the offerings N2DS
      • object>MEAT
        • nmOBI: sacrificial meat [KT]
        • typical associated activity>KILL
        • generalised>HAND UP
          • typical associated activityPRAY
        • 祭 zhài (OC: skreeds MC: tʂɯæi) 側界切 去 廣韻：【周大夫邑名又姓周公第五子祭伯其後以爲氏 】
          • STATES
            • NPprZhài 祭 (Sometimes written as Cài 蔡. Not to be confused with another, and more powerful, state of Cài) (CHEN PAN 1969, 294-301)Clan: Jī 姬.Rank: Bó 伯 (common in the CQ and ZUO).Founded: In the early Western Zhōu period by one of the sons of Duke of Zhōu 周公 (according to the ZUO, Xi 24). Destroyed: Unknown. Location: According to the Dì míng kǎolyè, Zhài was located in the modern Zhèngzhōu 鄭州 area of central Henan.

          Additional information about 祭

          說文解字: 【祭】，祭祀也。从示，以手持肉。 【子例切】

            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.

            Word relations
          • Object: (SACRIFICE)鬼/DEITY Guǐ 鬼 is very often a spirit of the deceased (See GHOST), but the word can also refer to nature spirits of all kinds.
          • Object: (SACRIFICE)神/DEITY Shén 神refers to the ethereal supernatural spirits of all kinds, primarily associated with heaven, but the word also refers to a righteous person who turns into such a spirit after death.
          • Object: (SACRIFICE)上帝/GOD Shàng dì 上帝 refers to the highest Sovereign, also identified with the the Highest Ancestor.
          • Assoc: (SACRIFICE)祀/SACRIFICE Jì4 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.