初夜权 (chū yè quán) — (historical) the right of a lord to sleep with a vassal's bride on her wedding night; jus primae noctis

Definition

A historical term for the medieval feudal right of a lord to spend a bride's wedding night with her (jus primae noctis). Only used in historical or literary contexts about feudal Europe.

noun
(historical) the right of a lord to sleep with a vassal's bride on her wedding nightjus primae noctis

Examples

  • 初夜权。
    Zhōng shì jì ōu zhōu de chū yè quán zhì dù shì yì zhǒng fēng jiàn tè quán.
    The system of jus primae noctis in medieval Europe was a feudal privilege.
  • 初夜权，。
    Xǔ duō lì shǐ xué jiā rèn wéi chū yè quán bìng fēi pǔ biàn cún zài, ér shì yì zhǒng xiàng zhēng xìng quán lì.
    Many historians believe that the right of the first night was not universally practiced but rather a symbolic power.
  • 初夜权，。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō zhōng tí dào le chū yè quán, fǎn yìng le dāng shí de shè huì děng jí zhì dù.
    This novel mentions the right of the first night, reflecting the social hierarchy of the time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

初夜first night
初chūfirst夜yènight
偏正Modifier + head
权quánright

初 (first), 夜 (night), and 权 (right) combine to name the right of the first night.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

初 combines 衤 (clothes) and 刀 (knife), showing the start of making clothes by cutting cloth.

Open 初 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夕夕xīmoon
Sound part声符shēngfú
亦
亦yì夜yè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 夜 pairs 亦 as a sound part with 夕 as a moon part, for night. In the modern shape, the 亦 part is broken up and one stroke merges into 夕.

Open 夜 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 權; 权 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn權quán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 權 shows 木, a tree, with 雚 giving the sound; it named a kind of tree and was used for a standard weight. The simplified 权 is a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 权 →

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