委質

Chinese

		give up; indeed; to commission give up; indeed; to commission; crooked	hostage; substance; nature hostage; substance; nature; quality
trad. (委質)		委	質
simp. (委质)		委	质

Etymology

Yang (1965) accepts the interpretation of 質 (OC *tids, *tjid) as alternative of 贄 (OC *tjibs, “ceremonial gift”). Between peers, the gifts were meant to be ceremonially returned. Unlike that, the complete entrustment of the gifts – 委 (OC *qrolʔ) – signified the loyalty and obligations of the homage-payer, and their material acceptance was an expression of superiority.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wěizhì

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˇ ㄓˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wěizhì
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˇ ㄓˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wěijhìh
    • Wade–Giles: wei³-chih⁴
    • Yale: wěi-jr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woeijyh
    • Palladius: вэйчжи (vɛjčži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

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• Middle Chinese: 'jweX trijH|tsyit

Rime
Character	委	質	質
Reading #	2/2	1/2	2/2
Initial (聲)	影 (34)	知 (9)	章 (23)
Final (韻)	支 (14)	脂 (17)	眞 (48)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	III
Fanqie	於詭切	陟利切	之日切
Baxter	'jweX	trijH	tsyit
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔˠiuᴇX/	/ʈˠiɪH/	/t͡ɕiɪt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔʷᵚiɛX/	/ʈᵚiH/	/t͡ɕit̚/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiuɛX/	/ȶiɪH/	/t͡ɕjet̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔjwiə̆X/	/ʈjiH/	/cit̚/
Li Rong	/ʔjueX/	/ȶjiH/	/t͡ɕiĕt̚/
Wang Li	/ǐweX/	/ȶiH/	/t͡ɕĭĕt̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔwie̯X/	/ȶiH/	/t͡ɕi̯ĕt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	wěi	zhì	zhi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	wai2	zi3	zat1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*q(r)ojʔ  [t]<r>ip-s|t-lit/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qrolʔ  tids|tjid/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	委	質	質
Reading #	2/4	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	wěi	zhì	zhì
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjweX ›	‹ trijH ›	‹ tsyit ›
Old Chinese	/*q(r)ojʔ/	/*[t]<r>ip-s/	/*t-lit/
English	entrust to	hostage; gift	substance, solid part
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	委	質	質
Reading #	2/2	1/2	2/2
No.	12903	17397	17401
Phonetic component	委	質	質
Rime group	歌	至	質
Rime subdivision	3	1	1
Corresponding MC rime	委	致	質
Old Chinese	/*qrolʔ/	/*tids/	/*tjid/
Notes			金文本從折聲

Verb

委質

1. (literary) to pledge one's loyalty; to swear allegiance; to pay homage (as subject or disciple)

   • 臣委質于狄之鼓，未委質于晉之鼓也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     臣委质于狄之鼓，未委质于晋之鼓也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Guoyu, circa 4^th century BCE

     Chén wěizhì yú Dí zhī Gǔ, wèi wěizhì yú Jìn zhī Gǔ yě. [Pinyin]

     This vanquished man swore allegiance to (the land of) Gu of Di but never did so to Gu of Jin.

   • 孔子設禮稍誘子路，子路後儒服委質，因門人請爲弟子。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     孔子设礼稍诱子路，子路后儒服委质，因门人请为弟子。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Kǒngzǐ shè lǐ shāo yòu Zǐlù, Zǐlù hòu rúfú wěizhì, yīn ménrén qǐng wéi dìzǐ. [Pinyin]

     Confucius exhibited some of the proper ceremonies to Zilu to whet his appetite in the Confucian way. Afterwards, Zilu donned the clothing of a scholar, pledged his loyalty, and requested admission as a disciple via the students.