KNEEL    跪坐

BOW DOWN AND SUPPORT ONESELF on the FLOOR USING one's KNEES.
Old Chinese Criteria
1. The current general word for kneeling down while resting one's body on one's heels in an orderly but relaxed position is zuò 坐 (lì 立 "stand up"), a term often innocently mistranslated as "to sit". 2. Guì 跪 refers to the polite act of submission which involves kneeling down with one's torso protruding forward, ready to show respect and submission 3. Bài 拜 refers to the action of guì 跪 with the addition of moving one's head towards the ground. See BOW. 4. Jì 跽 and cháng guì4 長跪 kneel with one's torso erect, as a sign of seriousness. 5. Qǐ 啟 is a poetic word for the polite act of submitting which involves kneeling down which is current in SHI.
黄金貴：古漢語同義詞辨釋詞典
HUANG JINGUI 2006　　 古人席地而坐，西漢尚然。漢書雋不疑傳，登堂坐定，不疑據地曰，竊伏海濱，聞暴公子威名舊矣，是也。 　　古人之坐皆以兩膝著地，有所敬引身而起，則為長跪矣。史記范睢傳，言秦王跽而請。秦王復跽，而褚先生補梁孝王世家，帝與梁王俱侍坐太后前。太后謂帝曰，吾聞殷道親親，周道尊尊，其義一也。帝跪席舉身曰諾，是也。禮記，坐皆訓跪。三國志注引高士傳，言管寧嘗坐一木榻，積五十餘年，未嘗箕股。其榻上當膝處皆穿，以此。
Modern Chinese Criteria
下跪 is the current colloquial word for kneeling down. 跪 is a slightly more literary word for kneeling down. 跽 (obs) is to kneel and go down on all fours 屈膝 "bending one's knees" is a polite periphrastic word for kneeling down. 長跪 refers specifically to kneeling ceremoniously with one's feet tucked under one. first rough draft to identify synonym group members for future analysis 18.11.2003. CH
Antonym
  • STANDSUPPORT one's WEIGHT USING one's FEET AND NOT MOVE one's FEET.
See also
  • SITSUPPORT one's WEIGHT USING one's BUTTOCKS AND KEEPING ONE'S SPINE UPRIGHT.
  • KOWTOWBOW DOWN and KNOCK one's HEAD against the FLOOR IN FRONT of someone so as to SHOW RESPECT.
Hypernym
  • BOW DOWN　GREET so as to BEND one's BODY DOWN as a POLITE GESTURE. (anc: 16/0, child: 2)
  • GREET　ADDRESS someone one is MEETING NOW COMMUNICATING one's GOOD WISHES FOR her/him. (anc: 15/0, child: 1)
  • ADDRESS　SPEAK OR WRITE INTENDING ANOTHER TO HEAR OR READ AND TO REACT to IT.  (anc: 14/0, child: 23)
Other Hypernyms
  • BOW DOWNnew-3c4d6a67-bcf6-497b-8d6a-67bcf6297bc0　GREET so as to BEND one's BODY DOWN as a POLITE GESTURE. (anc: 15/2, child: 2)
  • GREETnew-d9d93cf6-782f-4867-993c-f6782f686779　ADDRESS someone one is MEETING NOW COMMUNICATING one's GOOD WISHES FOR her/him. (anc: 14/1, child: 1)
  • ADDRESSnew-b2b104ff-6112-4947-b104-ff611229470d　SPEAK OR WRITE INTENDING ANOTHER TO HEAR OR READ AND TO REACT to IT.  (anc: 13/0, child: 23)
  • 說“安”字 語言學論叢 Yuyanxue Luncong ( CHEN JIAN 2005) p. 356ff

  • 日知錄 Rizhilu ( GU YANWU) p. 821

    　　古人席地而坐，西漢尚然。漢書雋不疑傳，登堂坐定，不疑據地曰，竊伏海濱，聞暴公子威名舊矣，是也。

    　　古人之坐皆以兩膝著地，有所敬引身而起，則為長跪矣。史記范睢傳，言秦王跽而請。秦王復跽，而褚先生補梁孝王世家，帝與梁王俱侍坐太后前。太后謂帝曰，吾聞殷道親親，周道尊尊，其義一也。帝跪席舉身曰諾，是也。禮記，坐皆訓跪。三國志注引高士傳，言管寧嘗坐一木榻，積五十餘年，未嘗箕股。其榻上當膝處皆穿，以此。

  • 中國文化史三百題 ( SANBAITI 1987) p. 370

  • 古漢語常用詞同義詞詞典 ( HONG CHENGYU 2009) p. 330

    • Words (8 items)

    坐  zuò OC: sɡoolʔ MC: dzʷɑ 22 Attributions

    The current general word for kneeling down while resting one's body on one's heels in an orderly but relaxed position is zuò 坐 (lì 立 "stand up"), a term often innocently mistranslated as "to sit".

      Syntactic words
    • nabkneelingCH
    • vikneel on the floor, politely and decently, with one's back on one's heels
    • vi-Vkneel/sit and V
    • viinchoativekneel downCH
    • viperfectiveget to kneel formally/sit rituallyCH
    • vtoNkneel on
    • vtoNcausativecause to kneel>cause to sit the traditional Chinese way
    跪  guì OC: ɡrolʔ MC: giɛ 8 Attributions

    Guì 跪 refers to the polite act of submission which involves kneeling down with one's torso protruding forward, ready to show respect and submission

      Syntactic words
    • nabactkneeling
    • viactkneel on the floor and kowtow, as a sign of respect and submissiveness; kneel
    • vtoNkneel on the floor and kowtow, as a sign of respect and submissiveness; kneel
    長跪  cháng guì OC: ɡrlaŋ ɡrolʔ MC: ɖi̯ɐŋ giɛ 7 Attributions

    Jì 跽 and cháng guì4 長跪 kneel with one's torso erect, as a sign of seriousness.

      Syntactic words
    • VPikneel for a long time on the floor, upright from the knees upwards, as a sign of seriousness. ZGC 長跪而謝之
    跽  jì OC: ɡrɯʔ MC: gi 3 Attributions

    Jì 跽 and cháng guì 長跪 kneel with one's torso erect, as a sign of seriousness.

      Syntactic words
    • viactkneel for a long time on the floor, upright from the kees upwards, as a sign of seriousness
    啟  qǐ OC: kheeʔ MC: khei 1 Attribution

    Qǐ 啟 is a poetic word for the polite act of submitting which involves kneeling down which is current in SHI.

      Syntactic words
    • viactSHI kneel
    膜  mó OC: maa MC: muo̝ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • vikneel (MU TIAN ZI ZHUAN); prostrate oneself in worship
    拜  bài OC: proods MC: pɣɛi 0 Attributions

    Bài 拜 refers to the action of guì 跪 with the addition of moving one's head towards the ground. See BOW.

      Syntactic words
    坐定  zuò dìng OC: sɡoolʔ deeŋs MC: dzʷɑ deŋ 0 Attributions
      Syntactic words
    • VPiinchoativesit down