ANCESTOR  祖先

RELATIVE of PAST GENERATION whose DESCENDANT one is. 
FOREBEARFOREFATHERPREDECESSORANTECEDENTPROGENITORPRIMOGENITOR
Antonym
  • DESCENDANTHUMAN HAVING a DEFINED OTHER HUMAN as FATHER, MOTHER, OR ANCESTOR.
    Hypernym
    • RELATIVESHUMANS who HAVE COMMON ANCESTORS.
      • HUMANANIMAL which HAS TWO LEGS AND LACKS FEATHERS.
    Hyponym
    Old Chinese Criteria
    [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

    [+FIG/LITERAL]

    [FEMALE/MALE]

    [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

    1. Zǔ 祖 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") is the current general term for genetic literal ancestors.

    [CURRENT], [LITERAL], [MALE]

    2. Xiān 先 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") refers even more generally to predecessors, but may specifically refer to ancestors, and the term is often used adjectivally.

    [CURRENT], [DERIVED], [GENERAL], [MALE]

    3. Zōng 宗 is the specific term referring to founding highest ancestor recognised within a clan.

    [CURRENT], [MALE], [SPECIFIC]

    4. Mǔ 母 is sometimes used to refer to femals ancestors.

    [ARCHAIC], [FEMALE]

    5. 考

    6. 妣 refers to the maternal line ancestor

    黄金貴:古漢語同義詞辨釋詞典
    HUANG JINGUI 2006 HUMAN AFFAIRS 3.3. 祖宗。

    祖,通稱。

    宗,始祖之後的歷代祖先。

    考,父祖的泛稱,與 “ 祖 ” 等連用。

    先,亡故祖先,與 “ 君 ” 等連用。

    妣,女性祖先。

    4. 先祖。

    高, “ 高祖 ” 的省稱,指己身以上四世的祖先。

    曾, “ 曾祖 ” 的省稱,指己身上三代的祖先。

    祖,祖父,一般與 “ 父 ” 等連用。

    公,特指祖父。

    “ 顯考 ” 祭祀時敬稱高祖,但未成專詞。

    “ 皇考 ” ,祭祀曾祖或祖父、父時的敬稱。

    Cf. SACRIFICE 5. 祖,祖先神靈所依附的神主,在仰韶文化中通常以陶罐或陶罐偶像的形式出現;商代採用木製牌位,稱示;周代起稱主。

    社,土地之神的神主,有土、石、樹三種。

    尸,代替祖先受祭的人。

    Modern Chinese Criteria
    祖宗

    祖上

    祖先

    先公

    先人

    先世

    先古

    先祖

    先考

    皇考

    祖輩

    上代

    上世

    曾祖

    高祖

    遠祖

    太尊

    列祖列宗

    祖宗十八代

    first rough draft to identify synonym group members for future analysis, based on CL. 18.11.2003. CH/

    • A Dictionary of Selected Synonyms in the Principal Indo-European Languages ( BUCK 1988) p. 2.56

    • 古漢語同義詞辨釋詞典 ( HUANG JINGUI 2006) p.

    • 論衡同義詞研究 ( LUNHENG TONGYI 2004) p. 45

    • Historisches Woerterbuch der Philosophie ( RITTER 1971-2007) p. 5.729

      MANISMUS (=AHNENKULT)

    • Encyclopedia of Religion ( JONES 2005) p.

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

    • Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens ( BAECHTHOLD-STAEUBLI 1987) p. 1.226

    • SYNONYMES FRANÇOIS, LEURS DIFFÉRENTES SIGNIFICATIONS, ET LE CHOIX QU'IL EN FAUT FAIRE Pour parler avec justesse ( GIRARD 1769) p. 1.343.306

      NOS ANCETRES.NOS AYEUX.NOS PERES

    • 古漢語常用詞同義詞詞典 ( HONG CHENGYU 2009) p. 67

    • New Dictiornary of the History of Ideas, 6 vols. ( HOROWITZ 2005) p.

      ANCESTOR WORSHIP

    • 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. 71B

      AHNEN

    Words

      zǔ OC: skaaʔ MC: tsuo̝ 17 AttributionsWD

    Zǔ 祖 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") is the current general term for genetic literal ancestors. [CURRENT], [LITERAL], [MALE]

      Word relations
    • Contrast: 妣/ANCESTOR
    • Assoc: 宗/ANCESTOR Zōng 宗 is the specific term referring to founding highest ancestor recognised within a clan. [CURRENT], [MALE], [SPECIFIC]
    • Synon: 宗/ANCESTOR Zōng 宗 is the specific term referring to founding highest ancestor recognised within a clan. [CURRENT], [MALE], [SPECIFIC]
    • Synon: 初/BEGIN Chū 初 (ant. mò 末 "end") is purely chronological and refers to the early stage of something that persists, without indicating any lasting influence of that early stage on later developments. See FIRST
    • Synon: 始/BEGIN The general word for something occurring for the crucial and influential first time or initiating anything, in particular any development, is shǐ 始 (ant. zhōng 終"bring to an end; come to an end" and chéng 成 "bring to a successful end, complete").
    • Synon: 本/BASIS The basic word is běn 本 "the trunk, the main part" (ant. mò 末 "marginal part") and this word refers to the crucial constituent of something in any sense. [GENERAL], [STATIC]; [[COMMON]]

      Syntactic words
    • n.redfather's father of the father's father :> first ancestor, founding ancestor
    • n.red:adVfrom patriarch to patriarch
    • n.redallreduplicated N: all the ancestors, all the patriarchs
    • nab.post-Nfigurativeearliest (metaphysical) ancestor (of all things)CH
    • npost-NZUO Zhao 22: original first ancestor of the clan; the highest ancestor (BUDDH: patriarch (the founder or transmitter of a Buddhist lineage))
      zōng OC: tsuuŋ MC: tsuo̝ŋ 14 AttributionsWD

    Zōng 宗 is the specific term referring to founding highest ancestor recognised within a clan. [CURRENT], [MALE], [SPECIFIC]

      Word relations
    • Assoc: 祖/ANCESTOR Zǔ 祖 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") is the current general term for genetic literal ancestors. [CURRENT], [LITERAL], [MALE]
    • Synon: 祖/ANCESTOR Zǔ 祖 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") is the current general term for genetic literal ancestors. [CURRENT], [LITERAL], [MALE]

      Syntactic words
    • nhonoured early ancestor of the clan; early ancestor, ancestry; common pre-Buddhist: ancestral, pertaining to ancestral worship or clan worship
    • nadNancestral
    • npluralancestry; ancestors
    先人  xiān rén OC: sɯɯn njin MC: sen ȵin 9 AttributionsWD

    ancestor

      Syntactic words
    • NP(post-N)pluralCH
    • NP[post-N]our forefathers; the forefathersCH
    • NPpost-Nancestor; deceased father
    • NPtpost-N=NprNpr, N's ancestorDS
      nǐ OC: m-liilʔ MC: nei 8 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • n(post-N)deceased father (as represented in the temple); (dead father's tablet and temple); deceased father-in-law (Legge on Liji)
    • nadNancestral
    先祖  xiān zǔ OC: sɯɯn skaaʔ MC: sen tsuo̝ 6 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NP(post-N)ancestors; ancestry
    • NP[post-N]the grammatical subject's ancestorsCH
    祖考  zǔ kǎo OC: skaaʔ khuuʔ MC: tsuo̝ khɑu 5 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPpost-NLIJI: highest ancestors in the father's lineage; lineage of ancestors; sometimes also referring specifically to the father of the king
    祖師  zǔ shī OC: skaaʔ sril MC: tsuo̝ ʂi 4 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPtBUDDH: the Buddhist ancestors (Patriarchs) as defined by the Zen/Chán schools
    • NPtdefiniteBUDDH: ancestor in a predefined Chán/Zen Buddhist lineage; Patriarch (indentifiable from the context)
      kǎo OC: khuuʔ MC: khɑu 3 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • nancestor
    • npost=Nprancestor Npr
    • npost=Nprancestor NprCH
      xiān OC: sɯɯn MC: sen 2 AttributionsWD

    Xiān 先 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") refers even more generally to predecessors, but may specifically refer to ancestors. [CURRENT], [DERIVED], [GENERAL], [MALE]

      Syntactic words
    • npredecessor> ancestor
      dì OC: k-leeɡs MC: tei 2 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • n+prhighest ancestor, High Lord
    • nindefinitevenerated ancestor, ancestor venerated and sacrificed to??
    • ntitleposthumous title conferred on certain Shāng kings (Heji 23272)
      jiù OC: ɡus MC: gɨu 2 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • nmancestry
    文人  wén rén OC: mɯn njin MC: mi̯un ȵin 2 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPtperiphrastic: the elegant/dignified one>the (relevant) ancestor(s)
    先子  xiān zǐ OC: sɯɯn sklɯʔ MC: sen tsɨ 1 AttributionWD
      Syntactic words
    • NP{vadN}refers to one's deceased father, grandfather, etc
    先帝  xiān dì OC: sɯɯn k-leeɡs MC: sen tei 1 AttributionWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPtearly ancestors
    先生  xiān shēng OC: sɯɯn sraaŋ MC: sen ʂɣaŋ 1 AttributionWD
      Syntactic words
    • NP[post-N][my] ancestor
    皇祖  huáng zǔ OC: ɡʷaaŋ skaaʔ MC: ɦɑŋ tsuo̝ 1 AttributionWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPSovereign Ancestor
    祖妣  zǔ bǐ OC: skaaʔ piʔ MC: tsuo̝ pi 1 AttributionWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPtLIJI: 'souvereign grandmother'; mother of the king
    禪祖  chán zǔ OC: djan skaaʔ MC: dʑiɛn tsuo̝ 1 AttributionWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPtBUDDH: ancestors/patriarchs of the Chan/Zen School
    高祖  gāo zǔ OC: koow skaaʔ MC: kɑu tsuo̝ 1 AttributionWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPtgreat-great-grandfather (father of the father of the grandfather)
      bǐ OC: piʔ MC: pi 0 AttributionsWD

      Word relations
    • Contrast: 祖/ANCESTOR Zǔ 祖 (ant. hòu 後 "offspring") is the current general term for genetic literal ancestors. [CURRENT], [LITERAL], [MALE]

      Syntactic words
    • nccOBI: dead female ascendant
      mǔ OC: mɯʔ MC: mu 0 AttributionsWD

    Mǔ 母 is sometimes used to refer to femals ancestors. [ARCHAIC], [FEMALE]

      Syntactic words
    上甲  shàng jiǎ OC: ɡljaŋs kraab MC: dʑi̯ɐŋ kɣap 0 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPprtempleproper name of the pre-dynastic highest ancestor venerated and sacrificed to by the Late Shāng elite.
    先臣  xiān chén OC: sɯɯn ɡjiŋ MC: sen dʑin 0 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NP{vadN}ancestor
    曾祖  zēng zǔ OC: tsɯɯŋ skaaʔ MC: tsəŋ tsuo̝ 0 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NPtgreat grandfather
    前寧人  qián níng rén OC: dzeen neeŋ njin MC: dzen neŋ ȵin 0 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • NP{vadN}"the preceding peaceful men"> ancestors SHU
      gōng OC: klooŋ MC: kuŋ 0 AttributionsWD
      Syntactic words
    • npluralOBI ancestors 多公 "the many ancestors" 公宮 "Temple of the Ancestors"

    Existing SW for

    Here are Syntactic Words already defined in the database:

      Searching Wikidata

      Type: