皇祖妣

皇祖妣

1. (archaic) a posthumous name for grandmothers in Zhou rituals

   • 祭王父曰皇祖考，王母曰皇祖妣。父曰皇考，母曰皇妣。夫曰皇辟。生曰父、曰母、曰妻，死曰考、曰妣、曰嬪。 [MSC, trad.]
     祭王父曰皇祖考，王母曰皇祖妣。父曰皇考，母曰皇妣。夫曰皇辟。生曰父、曰母、曰妻，死曰考、曰妣、曰嫔。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, Qu Li II, 122

     Jì wángfù yuē huángzǔkǎo, wángmǔ yuē huángzǔbǐ. Fù yuē huángkǎo, mǔ yuē huángbǐ. Fū yuē huángpì. Shēng yuē fù, yuē mǔ, yuē qī, sǐ yuē kǎo, yuē bǐ, yuē pín. [Pinyin]

     In sacrificing to them, a grandfather is called "the sovereign grandfather"; a grandmother, "the sovereign grandmother"; a father, "the sovereign father"; a mother, "the sovereign mother"; a husband, "the sovereign pattern". While alive, the names of father, mother, and wife are used; when they are dead, those of "the completed one", "the corresponding one", and "the honored one".