登假

Possibly related to the idiomatic expression 陟降 (OC *tɯɡ kruːŋs, “to go”, literally “to ascend and descend”) in Old Chinese. Alternative forms include 陟恪 (Zuozhuan) and 登遐 (Mozi) (Wang, 1923). See 格 (OC *kraːɡ).

The pronunciation of 假 may have be uncertain since the classical times. Lu Deming (d. 630) in his Jingdian Shiwen used different readings (see quotations below):

1. 音遐 (MC ɦˠa) > Mandarin xiá in the annotations to the Book of Rites, and
2. in the Zhuangzi, as either 遐 (MC ɦˠa) or 假 (MC kˠa^X) (古雅反 > Mandarin jiǎ), depending on whether the word boundary should be before or after the character 假, quoting the earlier scholar Xu Miao (344–397).

登假

1. (formal or archaic) to pass away

   • 告喪，曰「天王登假。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     告丧，曰“天王登假。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Gàosāng, yuē “tiānwáng dēngjiǎ.” [Pinyin]

     When announcement is made (to all the states) of the mourning for him, it is said, "The king by (the grace of) Heaven has gone far on high."

   • 彼且擇日而登假，人則從是也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     彼且择日而登假，人则从是也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Zhuangzi, circa 3^rd – 2^nd centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Bǐ qiě zérì ér dēngjiǎ, rén zé cóng shì yě. [Pinyin]

     If such a man were to choose a day on which he would ascend far on high, men would (seek to) follow him there.