Jí (ancient surname)

Jí (姞)
PronunciationJí (Mandarin)
Gat (Cantonese)
Language(s)Chinese
Origin
Language(s)Old Chinese
Other names
Variant form(s)Chi, Kat

is the Mandarin pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written in Chinese character. It is romanized as Chi in Wade–Giles, and Gat in Cantonese.[1] One of the Eight Great Surnames of Chinese Antiquity, Ji 姞 is an uncommon surname today. It is not listed in the Song dynasty classic text Hundred Family Surnames.[2]

The Ji clan is said to have descended from the Yellow Emperor. Bo Tiao (伯儵), a leader of the clan, was enfeoffed at Southern Yan (南燕, in modern Weihui, Henan). His descendants later dropped the 女 radical from their surname, which became Ji 吉, which is now the 195th most common surname in China.[3][4]

Besides Southern Yan, branches of the Ji 姞 clan also established the minor states of Mixu (密须) and Bi (偪) during the Zhou dynasty.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "姞". Zdic. Retrieved 2014-06-11.
  2. ^ "百家姓" [Hundred Family Surnames] (in Chinese). Guoxue. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
  3. ^ 吉姓起源 [Origin of the Ji surname] (in Chinese). Greater China Genealogy. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  4. ^ 吉姓起源,名人及家谱 [Origin and famous people of the Ji surname] (in Chinese). Shangdu. 2008-07-17. Archived from the original on 2014-05-10. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  5. ^ Gu Derong (顾德融); Zhu Shunlong (朱顺龙) (2003). 春秋史 [History of the Spring and Autumn Period]. Shanghai People's Publishing House. p. 36. ISBN 978-7-208-04544-6.