KING    國王王

RULER of an INDEPENDENT STATE.
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The general term for a king of any kind is wáng 王, and in Warring States times this term can refer to all sovereign rulers, even the Son of Heaven. This is one of those terms have neutral descriptive uses versus abstract idealised uses. The list of such concepts is long: 王"king/true king =王者", 君子"gentleman/true gentleman"，道"behaviour/ideal behaviour"，禮 "custom/ideal ritual"，德“feature/ideal feature,virtue" 2. Tiān wáng 天王 is a highly formal ritual term for "the King by the Grace of Heaven" and refers regularly to the Zhou king. 3. Tiān zǐ 天子 refers to the Son of Heaven recognised as the ritual leader of all kings, and the word is currently used in a non-referential generic abstract sense. 4. Dì 帝, originally "highest ancestor", is an honorary title for a king of very special distinction. 5. Huáng 皇 is a very archaic way of referring to mythical rulers which in Qin times came to be used as part of the term for "emperor". 6. Huáng dì 皇帝 is the Qin standard term for the emperor.
Modern Chinese Criteria
皇帝 帝 王 上 君 天子 天皇 帝王 君王 國王 國君 first rough draft to identify synonym group members for future analysis 18.11.2003. CH
Hypernym
  • RULER　HUMAN GOVERNS a GROUP OR a TERRITORY.[[HERRSCHER]] (anc: 7/0, child: 3)
  • HUMAN　ANIMAL which HAS TWO LEGS AND LACKS FEATHERS. (anc: 6/0, child: 31)
  • ANIMAL　CREATURE ABLE to FEEL AND MOVE. (anc: 5/0, child: 12)
  • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 19.32

  • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 19.34

  • Lateinische Synonyme und Etymologien ( DOEDERLEIN 1840) p.

    KING

    princeps refers to the leader as the firsty to take actions, as holder of the highest civil power.

    imperator refers to the leader as holder of the highest military authority.

    Caesar refers to the Roman emperor.

  • Bibliographisches Handbuch zur Sprachinhaltsforschung. Teil II. Systematischer Teil. B. Ordnung nach Sinnbezirken (mit einem alphabetischen Begriffsschluessel): Der Mensch und seine Welt im Spiegel der Sprachforschung ( FRANKE 1989) p. 81B

  • Geschichtliche Grundbegriffe ( KOSELLECK 1972-97) p. 4.133-214

  • Anthologia sive Florilegium rerum et materiarum selectarum ( LANGIUS 1631) p.

    IMPERATOR

    REX/REGNUM

  • Lateinische Synonymik ( MENGE) p. 363

  • Dictionnaire culturel en langue francaise ( REY 2005) p. 4.383

  • "Sachwoerterbuch zum Alten China" ( UNGER SACH) p.

    KAISER

    KOENIG

    KOENIGIN

    T'IEN-TSI

  • Encyclopedia of Religion ( JONES 2005) p.

  • Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology ( BARNARD AND SPENCER 2002) p.

  • Realencyklopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft ( PAULY 1894-1973) p. 3.55

  • Bibliographisches Handbuch zur Sprachinhaltsforschung. Teil II. Systematischer Teil. B. Ordnung nach Sinnbezirken (mit einem alphabetischen Begriffsschluessel): Der Mensch und seine Welt im Spiegel der Sprachforschung ( FRANKE 1989) p. 137B

    • Words (18 items)

    天子  tiān zǐ OC: lʰiin sklɯʔ MC: then tsɨ 301 Attributions

    Tiān zǐ 天子refers to the Son of Heaven recognised as the ritual leader of all kings, and the word is currently used in a non-referential generic abstract sense.

      Word relations
    • Ant: 匹夫/ORDINARY Pǐ fū 匹夫 (ant. jūn zǐ 君子 "gentleman; freeman") and the rarer xì rén 細人 is a purely sociological term referring to a person without public office.
    • Ant: 庶人/PEOPLE Shù rén 庶人 is the technical term for the non-office-holding commoners in a country.
    • Contrast: 公/RANK Gōng 公 has many related meanings, but when following after the name of a state the word refers specifically to the ruler of an enfeoffed kingdom under the Son of Heaven who belongs to the royal lineage. After personal names, or used absolutely, the word may generally refer to to rulers of any rank and might be fastidiously translated as "his lordship".
    • Assoc: 三公/MINISTER

      Syntactic words
    • NPabsocialthe position of the Son of Heaven
    • NPdefinitethe (contextually determinate) Son of Heaven (of the time)
    • NPdefinitethe Sons of Heaven (of the Zhou dynasty, of a given time)
    • NPindefinitea Son of Heaven, a certain Son of Heaven
    • NPnonreferentialthe Son of Heaven/Emperor, generally (with untensed predicate)
    • NPpost-V{NUM}so-and-so many Sons of Heaven
    • NP{PRED}be the Son of Heaven
    • NP{PRED}be a (true) Son of HeavenCH
    聖王  shèng wáng OC: qhljeŋs ɢʷaŋ MC: ɕiɛŋ ɦi̯ɐŋ 175 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPdefinitethe sage kings
    • NPindefiniteone of the sage kings, a (certain) sage king
    • NPnonreferentialthe sage king (with untensed predicate)
    • NPnonreferentiala sage king (聖王不作）
    • NPpost-V{NUM}(so-and-so-many) sage kings
    • NP{PRED}be a sage king
    王  wáng OC: ɢʷaŋ MC: ɦi̯ɐŋ 76 Attributions

    The general term for a king of any kind is wáng 王, and in Warring States times this term can refer to all sovereign rulers, even the Son of Heaven.

      Word relations
    • Subject: 薨/DIE Hōng 薨 and cú 殂/徂 refers to the death of a senior official.
    • Epithet: 霸 / 霸伯/RULER Bà 霸 (contr. wáng 王 "regular king") refers to a person who is in actual control of an area and specifically to one who acts as the leader of the feudal lords.
    • Epithet: 先 / 先/PRECEDE The current word for being first or coming first in time, or for being first in the order of importance, is xiān 先 (ant. hòu 後 "later").
    • Epithet: 聖/WISE Shèng 聖 (ant. yōng 庸 "mediocre") refers to supreme sagehood and perfection of character.
    • Epithet: 先/PAST
    • Epithet: 法/METHOD Fǎ 法 is a regular rule-governed procedure governing the proper exercise of a skill.
    • Epithet: 兼/CARE FOR
    • Contrast: 霸 / 霸伯/RULER Bà 霸 (contr. wáng 王 "regular king") refers to a person who is in actual control of an area and specifically to one who acts as the leader of the feudal lords.
    • Assoc: 帝/KING Dì 帝, originally "highest ancestor", is an honorary title for a king of very special distinction.

      Syntactic words
    • nking, the True King
    • n(post-N)king of the contextually determinate place NDS
    • n[post-N]plural[our] kings
    • n[post-N]singularHis Majesty, the current king
    • nabsocial"royal" authority over everything
    • nadNpossessive: king's; belonging to the kingDS
    • nadNdefiniteHis Majesty's, the king's
    • nadNidealisedcharacteristic of a true king, truly royal, royal
    • nadNroyalbeing of royal dignity, of royal status
    • nckings
    • nfigurativethe biggest and the most influential or respectful in its category
    • nnonreferentialthe kingCH
    • npost-NprNpr=placeking of NprDS
    • npost-npro(our) king, (your) king etc.LZ
    • npost-V{NUM}counted king
    • npost=NprKing X, 平王
    • vt[oN]inchoativeread wàng: become the true king
    • vtoNattitudinaltreat as a king
    帝  dì OC: k-leeɡs MC: tei 25 Attributions

    Dì 帝, originally "highest ancestor", is an honorary title for a king of very special distinction.

      Word relations
    • Epithet: 五/FIVE The standard word for "five" is wǔ 五.
    • Contrast: 皇/KING Huáng 皇 is a very archaic way of referring to mythical rulers which in Qin times came to be used as part of the term for "emperor".
    • Assoc: 王/KING The general term for a king of any kind is wáng 王, and in Warring States times this term can refer to all sovereign rulers, even the Son of Heaven.
    • Assoc: 三公/MINISTER

      Syntactic words
    • nSovereign; Thearch
    • n(post-N)the contextually determinate EmperorDS
    • n+Nprtitle帝顓頊 emperor Npr
    • npost=NprSovereign, later: emperor 宣帝
    • nstatedominant power
    • vichangebecome a Sovereign, achieve sovereign power
    • vtoNcausativecause to become emperor
    天王  tiān wáng OC: lʰiin ɢʷaŋ MC: then ɦi̯ɐŋ 21 Attributions

    Tiān wáng 天王 is a highly formal ritual term for "the King by the Grace of Heaven" and refers regularly to the Zhou king.

      Syntactic words
    • NP{N1adN2}the king by the grace of Heaven, His Heaven-ordained Majesty
    國王  guó wáng OC: kʷɯɯɡ ɢʷaŋ MC: kək ɦi̯ɐŋ 10 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPdefiniteBUDDH?: king of the state
    • NPindefinitea king
    • NPnonreferentiala king of a state, a head of a state; kings of states
    帝王  dì wáng OC: k-leeɡs ɢʷaŋ MC: tei ɦi̯ɐŋ 7 Attributions

      Word relations
    • Ant: 百姓/PEOPLE Bǎi xìng 百姓 (ant. jūn zhǔ 君主 "ruler") typically refers to the registered senior families in a state who are under the control of the ruler and contribute taxes as well as military service to him; but from earliest times this term was occasionally used to refer generally to the populace at large.

      Syntactic words
    • NProyal leaders; royal leader
    • VPichangebecome founding fathers and sovereigns or kings
    君王  jūn wáng OC: klun ɢʷaŋ MC: ki̯un ɦi̯ɐŋ 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPruler and king
    • NPnonreferentialruler of some kind or another
    后  hòu OC: ɡooʔ MC: ɦu 5 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • ndistinguished ruler (often used as prefix)
    • nadNroyal
    • npost-NprNpr=stateruler of NprDS
    皇帝  huáng dì OC: ɡʷaaŋ k-leeɡs MC: ɦɑŋ tei 3 Attributions

    Huáng dì 皇帝 is the Qin standard term for the emperor.

      Syntactic words
    • NPpost=NprtitleEmperor
    • NP{N1=N2}definitethe August Thearch, the Emperor
    上  shàng OC: ɡljaŋʔ MC: dʑi̯ɐŋ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • ndefiniteHan court language: the Emperor
    人王  rén wáng OC: njin ɢʷaŋ MC: ȵin ɦi̯ɐŋ 2 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPking
    • NPnonreferentialking over men> king
    素王  sù wáng MC: suH hjwang OC: saas ɢʷaŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPderiveda person manifestly qualified, morally, to be a great kingCH
    周王  zhōu wáng MC: tsyuw hjwang OC: tjɯw ɢʷaŋ 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPprdefinite(the relevant) King of (THE) ZhouCH
    三王  sān wàng MC: sam hjwangH OC: saam ɢʷaŋs 1 Attribution
      Syntactic words
    • NPpluralthe kings of the three dynasties Xia, Shang, and Zhou.CH
    皇王  huáng wáng OC: ɡʷaaŋ ɢʷaŋ MC: ɦɑŋ ɦi̯ɐŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NPpluralkings
    暴王  bào wáng OC: boowɡs ɢʷaŋ MC: bɑu ɦi̯ɐŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • NP=Nprdefinitethe cruel kings>tyrants Npr
    皇  huáng OC: ɡʷaaŋ MC: ɦɑŋ 0 Attributions

    Huáng 皇 is a very archaic way of referring to mythical rulers which in Qin times came to be used as part of the term for "emperor".

      Word relations
    • Contrast: 帝/KING Dì 帝, originally "highest ancestor", is an honorary title for a king of very special distinction.

      Syntactic words
    • nfrom Qín times; gāo huáng 高皇 "high emperor"