姬

The character commonly used in Japanese is 姫 (U+59EB). Note that the Korean form is written with 𦣝 as the right component, which is the historical form found in the Kangxi Dictionary.

姬 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 女尸中中 (VSLL), four-corner 4141₇, composition ⿰女𦣞(GHT) or ⿰女𦣝(K))

• 𩠯

• KangXi: page 260, character 23
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6230
• Dae Jaweon: page 526, character 24
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1049, character 15
• Unihan data for U+59EC
• Unihan data for U+2F862

Historical forms of the character 姬
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *klɯ, *lɯ) : semantic 女 (“woman; matrilateral family line; family name”) + phonetic 𦣞 ().

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Zhou dynastic surname

Its eponym was traditionally held to the river 姬 (Jī), which has been identified with the river 汾 (Fén) in Shanxi. However, Pulleyblank (2000) points out that "there seems to be no record of a Ji River outside the myth" of the Yellow Emperor.

Instead, he suggests an etymological connection between "the two intermarrying moieties, a ruling clan and its collateral, wife-supplying counterpart": 姬 (OC *(C)ɰə̀ɰ) and 姜 (*(C)ɰàŋ). He also points to other word-pairs, including 似 (MC zɨ^X, “to resemble”) < *-əɰʔ and 像 (MC zɨɐŋ^X, “to imitate, image”) < *-aŋʔ, which display the phonetic correspondences: *-ɰ vs. *-ŋ as well *-ə- vs. *-a- (ibid.)

lady (ancient laudatory title for women)

According to Yan Shigu (apud Kangxi Dictionary):

"gay"

Homophonous with 基 (jī) or English gay (in Cantonese) and already carrying feminine connotations. Probably influenced by Japanese 姫(ひめ) (hime, “princess”).

姬

1. a surname, used by the ruling family of the House of Zhou

   王姬  ―  Wáng Jī  ―  (historical) Royal (Princess) Ji (formal appellation for various women born out of the royal house of Zhou)

   • 曷不肅雝、王姬之車。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     曷不肃雍、王姬之车。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Hé bù sù yōng, Wáng Jī zhī chē. [Pinyin]

     Are they not expressive of reverence and harmony, the carriages of the king's daughter (lit. "the Royal Princess Ji")?

   諸姬／诸姬  ―  zhūjī  ―  (historical) the various Ji (collective appellation for various nobles and states' rulers patrilineally related to the royal house of Zhou)

   • 孌彼諸姬、聊與之謀。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     娈彼诸姬、聊与之谋。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Luán bǐ zhūjī, liáo yǔ zhī móu. [Pinyin]

     Admirable are those, my cousins (lit. "the various Ji nobles"); I will take counsel with them.

2. (literary) lady (ancient laudatory title for women)

   • 風吹柳花滿店香，吳姬壓酒喚客嘗。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     风吹柳花满店香，吴姬压酒唤客尝。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 李白 Li Bai〈金陵酒肆留別〉"Farewell at a Tavern in Jinling"

     Fēng chuī liǔhuā mǎn diàn xiāng, Wú jī yājiǔ huàn kè cháng. [Pinyin]

     The wind blows on the willow-catkins, filling the inn with fragrance; the Wu lady calls out to customers to try newly pressed wine.

3. (mythology) name of a river

   • 黃帝居姬水，以為姓。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     黄帝居姬水，以为姓。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Shuowen Jiezi, circa 2^nd century CE

     Huángdì jū Jīshuǐ, yǐwéi xìng. [Pinyin]

     The Yellow Thearch dwelt by the Ji river, (whose name) he took as (his) surname.

4. (literary) beauty

   • 沛公居山東時，貪於財貨，好美姬。今入關，財物無所取，婦女無所幸。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     沛公居山东时，贪于财货，好美姬。今入关，财物无所取，妇女无所幸。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Pèigōng jū Shāndōng shí, tān yú cáihuò, hào měijī. Jīn rù guān, cáiwù wú suǒqǔ, fùnǚ wú suǒxìng. [Pinyin]

     When Lord of Pei was in Shandong, he coveted riches and desired beauties. Yet now that he has entered Guan[zhong], he has not confiscated wealth, nor has he lusted after women."

5. (literary) concubine

   • 莊襄王為秦質子於趙，見呂不韋姬，悅而取之，生始皇。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     庄襄王为秦质子于赵，见吕不韦姬，悦而取之，生始皇。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Zhuāngxiāng wáng wèi Qín zhìzǐ yú Zhào, jiàn lǚ bùwéi jī, yuè ér qǔ zhī, shēng Shǐhuáng. [Pinyin]

     When King Zhuangxiang was a Qin hostage in Zhao, he saw Lü Buwei's concubine, he fell in love with her and married her; she gave birth to the First Emperor.

6. (neologism, slang) Synonym of 基 (jī, “gay”), with a feminine connotation; lesbian

   搞姬  ―  gǎojī  ―  to engage in lesbian activities

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

姬

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

(uncommon “Hyōgai” kanji)

1. alternative form of 姫

• Go-on: き (ki)
• Kan-on: き (ki)
• Kun: ひめ (hime, 姬)
• Nanori: こひめ (kohime); ひめさき (himesaki); ぷりんせす (purinsesu); れもん (remon)
  Note: the nanori readings ぷりんせす (Purinsesu) and れもん (Remon) are so-called キラキラネーム (kirakira nēmu).

姬 • (hui) (hangeul 희, revised hui, McCune–Reischauer hŭi, Yale huy)

1. woman

姬: Hán Nôm readings: cơ

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.