姒
archaic elder sister; husband's brother's wife; surname
Meanings
3 senses · 6 examplesnoun
elder sister (archaic)
archaicAn ancient kinship term used in pre-modern Chinese to refer to one's elder sister.
In ancient times, 'si' was used for elder sisters and 'mei' for younger sisters.
There is a distinction between elder and younger sisters-in-law, with clear order between senior and junior.
noun
wife of one's husband's elder brother; sister-in-law (archaic)
archaicIn ancient Chinese kinship terminology, this referred specifically to the wife of one's husband's elder brother (the senior sister-in-law), as distinguished from 娣 (dì), the wife of the younger brother.
In ancient times, a woman called her husband's elder brother's wife 'si'.
The wives of the elder and younger brothers lived together under one roof and needed to get along harmoniously.
proper noun
a surname
An ancient Chinese surname, most famously borne by Yu the Great (Da Yu), the legendary founder of the Xia Dynasty.
Yu the Great had the surname Si and the given name Wenming.
The surname Si is one of the oldest surnames in China.