STAIRS  臺階

PART of a BUILDING USED TO ASCEND OR DESCEND FROM ONE STOREY TO ANOTHER.
STAIRCASE
Hypernym
Old Chinese Criteria
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.

黄金貴：古漢語同義詞辨釋詞典
HUANG JINGUI 2006

ARCHITECTURE 22. 建於高臺基上的宮殿，都設臺階。

階，堂前的臺階；作臺階總稱。

阼，先秦堂前之東階，供主人行走、答酢賓客。

除，漢魏間宮殿臺階，可包括臺階上（即堂）與下（庭徑）延伸的一小段距離，漢魏後作臺階的泛稱。

陛，位置高、階級高的臺階；引申為天子所踐之階。

[ 土＋戚 ] ，漢代對帝殿陛階踏道的別稱，與 “ 平 ” （慢道）相對。

Modern Chinese Criteria
階

階梯

台階

臺階

rough draft to BEGIN TO identify synonym group members for analysis, based on CL etc. 18.11.2003. CH ／

Words

階  jiē OC: kriid MC: kɣɛi 16 Attributions

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.

    Word relations
  • Assoc: 阼/STAIRS 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.

    Syntactic words
  • nstairs; steps
  • nabfigurative"stairs" GY: 夫婚姻禍福之階也
  • nadVplaceon stairs
等  děng OC: k-lɯɯŋʔ MC: təŋ 4 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • nstep (on stairs)
  • npost-V{NUM}.postadVby one step, to the extent of one stepCH
級  jí OC: krɯb MC: kip 3 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • nccLIJI 1.29: step of a staircase
阼  zuò OC: dzaaɡs MC: dzuo̝ 3 Attributions

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.

    Word relations
  • Assoc: 階/STAIRS 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.

    Syntactic words
  • neast-side staircase; staircase used by the emperor at his succession or to perform a sacrifice
階陛  jiē bì MC: keaj bejX OC: kriid biiʔDS 1 Attribution
    Syntactic words
  • NPstairway at the main doorDS
平  píng OC: breŋ MC: bɣaŋ 0 Attributions

Píng 平 refers to the right-side staircase - or more precisely the slope way of bricks - of the main hall in a palace.

    Syntactic words
陔  gāi OC: kɯɯ MC: kəi 0 Attributions
    Syntactic words
  • nstaircase, steps
陛  bì OC: biiʔ MC: bei 0 Attributions

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.

    Syntactic words
除  chú OC: rla MC: ɖi̯ɤ 0 Attributions

Chú 除 in Han and Wei times referred to the stairs in a palace, later it came to be used for stairs generally:

    Syntactic words
  • nsteps, stairs in a palace or large public building

Existing SW for

Here are Syntactic Words already defined in the database: