妻妾 (qī qiè) — wife and concubine(s) (in traditional Chinese polygynous households)

Definition

A compound referring to the wives and concubines of a traditional polygynous household. 妻 is the principal wife (highest status); 妾 are secondary consorts of lower rank.

noun
wife and concubine(s) (in traditional Chinese polygynous households)

Examples

  • ，妻妾。
    Zài gǔ dài, qī qiè de dì wèi chā bié hěn dà.
    In ancient times, the status difference between wife and concubines was huge.
  • 妻妾。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō jiǎng de shì qī qiè zhī jiān de dòu zhēng.
    This novel is about the struggles among wives and concubines.
  • 妻妾。
    Qīng dài fǎ lǜ duì qī qiè de cái chǎn quán yǒu míng què guī dìng.
    Qing dynasty law had clear provisions on the property rights of wives and concubines.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

妻qīwife
妾qièconcubine

“妻” is the wife and “妾” a concubine; the two roles are listed together.

Characters in this word

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

  • 肀肀yùhand grabbing hair
  • 女女nǚwoman

妻 combines 肀, a hand grabbing hair, with 女, a woman, showing a man grabbing a woman's hair to show ownership.

Open 妻 →

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

The origin is uncertain: it may show 辛, described as a torture device, above 女, a woman, as a female criminal; another reading sees a woman with a headdress.

Open 妾 →

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