Taxonomy of meanings for 狄:  

  • 狄 dí (OC: deeɡ MC: dek) 徒歷切 入 廣韻:【北狄又姓春秋時狄國之後漢有博士狄山 】

    Additional information about 狄

    說文解字: 【狄】,赤狄,本犬種。狄之爲言,淫辟也。从犬、亦省聲。 【徒歷切】

      Criteria
    • CHINA

      睡虎地秦墓竹簡 1978: 226 臣邦人不安秦主而欲去夏者, 勿許. 何謂夏 ? 欲去親屬是謂夏.

      The words for China have this in common that they do NOT designate any one state. 中國 "the central states" is implicitly plural when it does not refer to the capital city. 諸夏 the various Xià (states)" is explicitly plural. The standard Imperium Romanum has no counterpart in Chinese until very late, unless one admits 天下 "all under Heaven" as a designation for the empire. But 天下 does not define any bounded empire. It remains to be seen exactly when a standard term for China was took shape. Compare the problems of finding a term for the Chinese language.

      Based on 顧頡剛 & 王樹民, “ 夏 ” 和 “ 中國 ”— 祖國古代的稱號, Zhongguo lishi dili luncong, Vol. 1 (Xi'an, 1981), 6-22).

      In the Shu and Shi sections relating to the early Zhou, 區夏 (= 夏區 ), 有夏 and 時夏 (= 是夏 ) refers to the place in which the Zhou established their capital after their conquest of Shang, in contradistinction to Zhou 掇 homeland in the West ( 西土 ) and the close Zhou allies ( 一二邦 ). The Zhou referred to their own domain as 烠 he central city-state � ( 中國 ). Since 中國 in this usage refers to the territory directly governed by the Zhou, it is singular and used in exchange with 京師 and in contradistinction with 四方 and 四國. Other states also referred to their capital regions as 啎什縕 (thus Wu in GY 19.09.01/618); a (perhaps late) variant of this word is 啎尹塹 (Yugong).

      After becoming strong, the states enfeoffed by Zhou asserted the community with the 周 by commencing to refer to themselves as 堔 L �, leading to the plural designation 埣悎 L �, used in contrast with designations like 啈 i 狄�. The distinction between the two groups was viewed as cultural, and its precise reference shifted over time, originally excluding states (like 楚 ) from the community of 諸夏 but later including them, or including them in the beginning, whilst later excluding them (like 秦 ). Some of the non- 諸夏 states were viewed as subservient to 諸夏 states, others as their enemies. The membership of 楚 to the 諸夏 circle was always insecure; it was, so to speak, was"always on probation.

      The 東夏 made up a subdivision of the 諸夏, including states such a 齊 and 魯.

      In parallel with the 堔 L � appellations arose the 埽寊 appellations, 埽寊 on its own and 埣捄寊, and, the two words may well be cognate, the common 埽堮 L �.

      In the Warring States period the cultural distinction gave way to a geographical distinction, and the 中國 states were now the state occupying the Central Plain

    • BARBARIAN

      1. Perhaps the most current general word for peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community is yí dí 夷狄, but sometimes the term refers specifically to the eastern and the northern barbarians.

      2. Jiǔ yí 九夷 is another term referring generically to the peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community, but more specifically to those of the East.

      3. Sì dí 四狄 is a general term for the various types of peoples that were not taken to belong the Huáxiá 華夏 community, but more specifically to those of the north. Sometimes the term wǔ yí 五夷 is used.

      4. Róngdí 戎狄 is another term referring generically to the peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community, but also more specifically to the western and northern barbarians.

      5. Mán yí 蠻夷 is another term referring generically to the peoples who were taken not to belong to the Huáxiá 華夏 community.

      One standard classification of non-Chinese peoples is this:

      6. Yí 夷 refers to the barbarians of the east, but the term came to be used for barbarians generally. 東方為九夷,

      7. Mán 蠻 refers specifically to the barbarians of the south. 南方為八蠻,

      8. Róng 戎 refers specifically to the barbarians of the west. 西方為六戎,

      9. Dí 狄 refers specifically to the barbarians of the north. 北方為五狄。

      In addition there is a rich vocabulary specifying various non-Chinese ethnic groups.

      Word relations
    • Assoc: (BARBARIAN)夷/BARBARIAN Yí 夷 was originally a name of eastern barbarians, later it came to be used as a general term for barbarians.
    • Assoc: (BARBARIAN)戎/BARBARIAN Róng 戎 refers to western barbarians.