尊

zūn

respect, revere, honor; high-ranking; ritual wine vessel.

Meaning

Noun: A large bronze wine vessel used for ancestral offerings.
Adjective: Exalted, noble, or high-ranking; denotes dignity and verticality in hierarchy.
Verb: To revere or honor; specifically the recognition of another's superior rank or position.

Distinctions

vs. 敬 (jìng): While both relate to respect, 尊 emphasizes external reality—rank and status—whereas 敬 typically refers to internal reverence or a state of being attentive and mindful.
vs. 貴 (guì): Both denote nobility or preciousness, but 貴 leans toward social class, wealth, or inherent value; 尊 emphasizes ritual precedence and dignity.

History and forms

Early Strata: Strongly tied to the prestige of ritual objects and ancestral rites.
Buddhist/Later Contexts: Frequently used as a standardized honorific (e.g., 尊者 "The Venerable" or "The Honorable").

Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.