凌迟

凌遲

língchí

noun #40,010

Meanings

1 death by a thousand cuts
2 lingering death (a form of execution)

Characters

to humiliate; over

slow; lingering

Examples

凌迟是中国古代最残酷的刑罚之一。

Língchí shì Zhōngguó gǔdài zuì cánkù de xíngfá zhī yī.

Lingchi was one of the cruelest forms of execution in ancient China.

明朝大太监刘瑾被处以凌迟。

Míngcháo dà tàijiàn Liú Jǐn bèi chǔ yǐ língchí.

The powerful Ming-dynasty eunuch Liu Jin was sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.

Tips

history

Codified as a legal punishment under the Liao (辽) dynasty and used through the Qing for treason and parricide. Officially abolished in 1905 by 沈家本 (Shěn Jiāběn) during late-Qing legal reform. The most-cited case is the 1905 execution of 王维勤 (Wang Weiqin), photographed by French soldiers.

usage

Often used metaphorically in modern Chinese: 凌迟般的折磨 'torture like lingchi' for prolonged emotional suffering.

Stroke Order

凌 líng

迟 chí