阶下囚 (jiē xià qiú) — prisoner (especially one who has fallen from grace; humbled captive)

Definition

Literary term for a 'prisoner,' with a strong implication of someone powerful who has fallen from grace — a humbled captive, not an ordinary criminal.

noun
prisoner (especially one who has fallen from grace; humbled captive)

Examples

  • ，阶下囚。
    Tā céng jīng shì quán qīng cháo yě de dà chén, rú jīn què chéng le jiē xià qiú.
    He was once a minister who wielded power over the entire court, but now he has become a prisoner under the steps.
  • ，阶下囚，。
    Zhàn bài hòu, jiāng jūn lún wéi jiē xià qiú, shòu jìn qū rǔ.
    After the defeat, the general was reduced to a captive and suffered every humiliation.
  • 阶下囚。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō miáo xiě le yí gè fù háo biàn chéng jiē xià qiú de gù shi.
    This novel tells the story of a wealthy tycoon who becomes a prisoner under the steps.

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.

阶下below the steps
阶jiēsteps下xiàbelow
偏正Modifier + head
囚qiúprisoner

阶 means steps and 下 means below, so 阶下 gives the place below the steps, where a 囚 prisoner is kept.

Characters in this word

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 階; 阶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
皆
皆jiē階jiē
Same sound today

The traditional form 階 uses 阝 (written in full as 阜) to relate to its meaning and 皆 to show its sound; the simplified 阶 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 阶 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

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

  • 囗囗wéibox, enclosure
  • 人人rénperson

囚 puts 人 (person) inside 囗 (box, enclosure), making a person enclosed, hence prisoner.

Open 囚 →

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