China has been known to the world as a "land of etiquette" since ancient times. Most of the ancients were relatively modest, so there were many modesty words in their speeches and writings. Nowadays, many people know its name but don't know its meaning. In fact, , it is also quite interesting to know the meaning of Qian Ci.
When mentioning one's wife to others, there is a traditional modesty called "Zhuo Jing". "Jing" is originally the name of a deciduous shrub, here it refers to the hairpin made of thorn branches. According to the "Biography of Lienv", Meng Guang, the wife of Liang Hong, a hermit of the Eastern Han Dynasty, lived a frugal life at home, using thorn branches as hairpins and coarse cloth as a skirt. Later generations humbly called their wives "Jing's Wife" or "Zhuo Jing".
Monks and Taoists call themselves "poor monks" and "poor Taoists", not because monks complain about poverty. During the Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, monks called themselves "Pin Dao"; after the Tang Dynasty, monks changed their name to "Pin Monk", and Taoists modestly called themselves "Pin Dao". The word "poverty" here does not refer to the poverty of life, but to the lack of knowledge and moral conduct. It is a modest expression of insufficient cultivation and unfulfilled merit.
People often call their articles or calligraphy and painting works "graffiti". Lu Tong, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, had a son. As a child, he liked to scribble on paper or books with a pen dipped in ink. Lu Tong wrote a poem and sighed: (This child) "suddenly came to the desk and turned over ink, smearing poems and books like an old crow." Later, people used the word "graffiti" to jokingly refer to random creations, or to describe the naivety of calligraphy, and more often to modestly describe the low level of their own works.
In the titles of articles, the word "brief opinions" is often used, such as Hu Shi's article "A Brief Opinions on Literary Reform." "卍" is pronounced chú, and its original meaning is to cut grass. It also refers to fodder for livestock, and by extension refers to the person who cuts grass. In ancient times, those who cut grass and collect firewood had a low status, so "卍义" was often used as a humble expression to refer to one's own remarks as shallow and immature. Hu Shi's "Brief Opinions on Literary Reform": "It is called a brief discussion, but it still means that the grass has not yet been settled. It is only the comrades of the country who have corrected it."
"I" is often used as a self-proclaimed person, and the original meaning of "Bi" refers to the city. The surrounding land later extended to refer to the countryside and remote places. Remote areas are far away from cultural centers and often lack information. Calling yourself "I" is a humbly saying that your knowledge and cultivation are not as good as others.
When calligraphers and painters give their works to others, they often humbly say, "Let's make up for the loss." The literal meaning of "mending the wall" is to repair the wall. The subtext of what the calligrapher and painter said is that their works are not of high value and can only be used as materials to repair the wall. It should be noted that "wall-filling" can only be used for the giver, not the recipient.
When expressing modesty, students often say "忿忿门翑", friends often say "忿在同上", and authors often say "忿为one of the authors". ". "忿", Congxin, Tiansheng, the original meaning is humiliation. "Nianliemenqiang" means that he is not a qualified student and has insulted the teacher. "Being among the acquaintances" means falsely trusting a close friend and insulting a friend. "As one of the authors" means that one's own level is not high and it insults other authors.
There are very few people who don’t know celery, but not many people know the word “Qinxian”. When people give gifts, they often modestly call their gifts "Qin Xian". There is a story in "Liezi Yang Zhu": Once upon a time, there was a man who thought soybeans were delicious, and the curly stems, celery, etc. were very sweet, and he even praised them to the local nobles. The local tycoon took it and tasted it. His mouth felt as if he had been stung, and he also felt upset. The people in the village laughed at and blamed this man, who was very ashamed. Later, people used "Qin Xian" as a synonym for meager gifts.
The ancient kings who called themselves "little people" did not mean "alone", but the abbreviation of "people with few virtues", that is, they humbly said that their virtues were still lacking.
People often refer to their articles as "rushed", which means that they are finished in a hurry and are inevitably careless. "Ji Jiu Zhang" is related to "Ji Jiu Pian". "Ji Jiu Pian", also known as "Ji Jiu", was a textbook for schoolchildren in the Han Dynasty. Not a word is repeated in the whole book. It is said to be a historical work of the Han Dynasty and was quite popular in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. The book is classified into three-character, four-character, and seven-character rhymes according to names, clothes, food, utensils, etc. Because the first sentence contains the word "jijiu", it was later named after it. Another saying is that when you encounter a difficult word, you can find it as soon as possible. It was later used as a modesty for the lack of thoughtfulness in one's own work.
In Qianci, "stealing" is also often used to refer to oneself. Such as: "hear", "hear", "hear" and "hear". "Stealing" obviously does not mean stealing. How should we understand it correctly? The original meaning of "steal" is thief. It is extended to stealing, and it is also extended to private and private. "Cihai" explains the meaning of "stealing" as "it is still a private word, often used as a humble word to express personal opinions."
"I heard" means "I heard about it privately", "I heard" means "I thought about it privately", and "I thought" can be understood as "I personally think". It has nothing to do with "plagiarism" as in "theft".
"Xu Diao" is used as a humble term for continuing someone else's work. "Xu Mao" is also called "Xu Mao". "If there are not enough minks, the dog's tail will continue." Mink is an animal with precious fur. In ancient times, court officials wore mink tails as crown ornaments. In the Jin Dynasty, the appointment of officials was too excessive and mink tails were insufficient, so dog tails were used instead. Because it is too excessive to use satire to confer official titles. The latter is a metaphor for using bad things to follow good things.
Returning other people's things can be politely called "bi return". This statement is related to a story in "Historical Records". According to the "Historical Records: Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru": During the Warring States Period, King Zhao Huiwen obtained Chu He's Bi, and King Qin Zhao wanted to exchange fifteen cities for He's Bi. At that time, Qin was strong and Zhao was weak, and King Zhao Huiwen was afraid that he would not be able to get the city after giving the bi to him. Lin Xiangru was willing to go there with the bi, saying: "If the city goes to Zhao, the bi will stay with Qin. If the city cannot be entered, please return the completed bi to Zhao." Later, "returning the completed bi to Zhao" was used as a metaphor for returning the item to its original owner. , abbreviated as "Bi Huan".
When asking for help from others or expressing gratitude to others, the respectful word "Dili" is often used, such as "Thank you for your great help." The "ding" in "dingli" means big. "Ding" was originally a cooking vessel in ancient times. It was also a very important ritual vessel in ancient society, symbolizing the throne and power. From this, the word "ding" derives meanings such as great and important, and contains obvious praise. When used to refer to the other party's behavior, it also has the meaning of respect, such as "Dingli" and "dingyan".
A commonly used salutation in diplomatic situations is "Your Excellency", such as "Your Excellency the President" and "Your Excellency the Chairman". The term "Your Excellency" has a long history. It originally means under the pavilion, and also refers to the subordinates who are on standby under the pavilion. In order to express respect for the superior, when the ancients addressed each other, they did not address the person directly, but instead called their attendants to tell them, "because of humiliation, one can achieve dignity." In this way, "Your Excellency" gradually became a general honorific.
The most common title to address someone else’s wife respectfully is “Mrs.” The word "Madam" has a specific meaning in ancient times. "Book of Rites: Qu Lixia": "The emperor's concubine is called the Queen, and the princes are called Madam." The wives of princes are called "Madam". In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the wives of first- and second-rank officials were given the title "Madam". Later, "ma'am" was used as a respectful address to the wives of ordinary people, which meant that they elevated the other person's status.
To describe how you have benefited a lot from other people's words and teachings, there is a saying called "like listening to Sanskrit sounds". "Brahma" comes from Sanskrit in ancient India, and the corresponding word is brahma, which means purity. Buddhism calls the sounds made by King Brahma "Sanskrit sounds", which also generally refers to the sounds of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Volume 32 of "Sanzang Dharmashu": "Sanskrit sound is the sound uttered by the Brahma King, and there are five pure sounds." From "Buddha" to "vulgar", in common parlance, other people's remarks, teachings, etc. Comparing it to "Sanskrit sound" is a good reputation.
When congratulating others on moving or getting promoted, the word "housewarming" is often used. "Housewarming" text version "The Book of Songs·Xiaoya·Lumbering": "The trees are tinkling and the birds are chirping. They come from the deep valley and move to the trees." Arbor means tall trees. Later, "relocation" and "relocation" were used to congratulate people on their move or promotion.
When thanking others for their attention or care, there is a polite way of saying "favor". The respect in the word "Chuiqing" comes from the word "Chui". "Chui" originally means hanging down, hanging down, and is extended to crouch or bend down; using "Chui" to refer to the other party's actions (such as "favoring", "asking for attention", "hanging down", etc.) implies the other party's moral character and knowledge. If you are higher than yourself, the actions the other party imposes on you are "up" versus "down". The "green" in "favoring" means blue eyes, which is the opposite of white eyes. Looking straight ahead with the eyes in the middle shows respect or affection for the person; looking upward or to the side with the whites of the eyes showing shows contempt or hatred.
When you meet or get acquainted with someone for the first time, in order to be polite, you can use the respectful word "knowing Jing". The "Shi" in "Shijing" means knowing; "Jing" refers to Han Jingzhou, that is, Han Chaozong, the governor of Jingzhou in the Tang Dynasty. The text is based on the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai's article "Books with Han Jingzhou": "Bai heard that all the talkers from all over the world gathered together and said: 'I don't need to be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households in my life, but I hope I can get to know Han Jingzhou.' How can people admire this! " Later, "knowing Jing" was used as a polite term for meeting someone for the first time.
The founder of a certain cause or sect is often respected as the "originator", which refers to the founder of a certain cause or knowledge. "Ancestor" originally refers to the ancestor or ancestor, which is a metaphor for the founder. So how do you understand the word "nose" here? Here "bi" and "ancestor" are synonymous morphemes.
"Nose" originally refers to the organ of breathing and smelling. However, in Chinese dialects, at least in the Han Dynasty, it was used as the meaning of "origination, beginning". Yang Xiong's "Dialect" Thirteenth: "Bi, the beginning."
"Zun" is a frequently used word of respect, such as "respect for brother", "respect for relative", "respect for wife", etc. The original meaning of "Zun" is "wine vessel", which later became the word "Zun". Duan Yucai's "Shuowen Jie Zi Annotation": "Any wine must be treated with respect by the person who is waiting to drink it... Anyone who drinks wine must be treated with respect, so the word "respect and inferiority" is extended." The ancients paid great attention to etiquette when drinking. Toasting is often an essential part. At a banquet, when a person of lower seniority or status toasts to a person of higher seniority or status, he must raise the word "respect". The correlation between the action of toasting and the "respect" of the wine vessel has formed a fixed association through long-term accumulation. Therefore, the word "respect" also extended the meaning of "respect", which was further abstracted and gained the title of "respect". pragmatic function.
In the old days, words such as "Taifu", "Taijia" and "Taijian" were often used in social situations or correspondence. The respectful word "Tai" comes from the name of the constellation. "Book of Jin Astronomical Records": "Three platforms and six stars, living in twos... The two stars near Wenchang in the west are called ascending the stage... The second two stars are called Zhongtai... The two stars in the east are called stepping down." In ancient times, star officials were used to symbolize personnel affairs, and the imperial court The three highest officials were therefore called "Santai". By extension, some official offices of the central government are also called "Tai", such as Yushitai. It is extended from the title of official office to refer to senior officials of local government, such as "Futai", "Fantai", etc. Later, people without official positions were also called "Tai", such as "Xiongtai", "Tai Duan", etc., which was a respectful term that intentionally elevated the other person's status. At this time, "Tai" became a respectful term. .
"Xi Zheng" is a respectful term used to ask someone to revise an article. It means that the other person's deletions and corrections are like a craftsman's movements, which can make the original manuscript colorful. The appearance of this word is related to a fable in "Zhuangzi". "Axe" comes from "Zhuangzi·Xu Wugui": There was a man in Ying, Chu State, who smeared a layer of white powder on the tip of his nose and asked a craftsman named Shi to peel off the powder with an axe. Shi then swung his ax to stir up the wind and chipped off the white powder, but the Ying people's noses were not damaged at all. Later, "axe straightening" was used to refer to asking someone to revise a poem, implying that the other person had superb skills like a craftsman.