圭 (guī): jade tablet (ceremonial)

Measure Word

一块圭 kuài

Meanings

1 jade tablet (ceremonial)
2 sundial
3 (ancient unit) a tiny amount

Characters

圭

guī

jade tablet; sundial

Examples

古代帝王手持圭参加典礼。

Gǔdài dìwáng shǒuchí guī cānjiā diǎnlǐ.

Ancient emperors held jade tablets at ceremonies.

圭是古代测量日影的工具。

Guī shì gǔdài cèliáng rì yǐng de gōngjù.

The gui was an ancient tool for measuring sun shadows.

Tips

history

圭 was a pointed jade tablet held by nobles during ceremonies in ancient China. Its shape and size indicated the holder's rank. Also used as a gnomon for sundials (日圭).

Components

radical

土 tǔ

earth; soil (top position)

Top 土 — the indexing earth radical, a pictograph of a clod of soil. The doubled 土 of 圭 originally pictured the layered jade tablet measured by clay impressions, but the radical is filed under earth because the ceremonial 圭 jade was used to mark off boundaries of land granted by the king to vassals.

semantic

土 tǔ

earth; soil (bottom position)

Bottom 土 — the same earth glyph repeated. Two stacked 土 depict the tapered jade scepter, pointed at top and squared at base, that ancient nobles held as a token of fief. The doubling lends the weight of a heavy ritual object — heavy enough to anchor a treaty between lord and vassal.