Taxonomy of meanings for 階:
- 階 jiē (OC: kriid MC: kɯæi) 古諧切 平 廣韻：【階級也説文曰階陛釋名曰階梯也如梯之等差也 】
- 階 jiē (OC: kriid MC: kɯæi) 古諧切 平 廣韻：【堦砌 】
Additional information about 階
說文解字: 【階】，陛也。从𨸏、皆聲。 【古諧切】
- Criteria
- STAIRS
1. General term for stairs is jiē 階. The word usually refers to the high stairs leading to an important building, such as the hall in a palace or temple, but it can be used also for the stairs of ordinary dwellings. That the word refers mainly to the stairs of important buildings can be easily understood, since in archaic China only these buildings were levelled on a higher platform. Already in the Warring States period, the word can also refer to a ladder.
2. Bì 陛 is another word for stairs and it refers to the high stairs. Since Qin times, the word specifically referred to the stairs used by the emperor in his palace.
3. Chú 除 in Han and Wei times referred to the stairs in a palace, later it came to be used for stairs generally.
4. Zuò 阼 refers to the east-side staircase in a palace, temple, or aristocratic mansion. This was used by the host when inviting guests (while the guests used western staircase) or by the ruler when performing sacrifice.
5. Cè (written like 土戚 ) refers to the left-side staircase of the main hall in a palace which was used by the emperor; it has nine steps.
6. Píng 平 refers to the right-side staircase - or more precisely the slope way of bricks - of the main hall in a palace.
- 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.