庭

Courtyard, yard, or the open-air central space of a building complex. This applies to both domestic and palatial settings; scale is determined by context.

Primarily a noun of place. It can function metonymically to refer to the household or family estate (e.g., "under my roof").

• 庭 vs. 廷: These are frequently interchangeable in early texts as phonetic loans. Where a distinction is maintained, 庭 emphasizes the physical location (the space), while 廷 emphasizes institutional authority (the seat of government). Use of 庭 in administrative contexts likely highlights the setting of the event.
• 庭 vs. 堂 (táng): While 庭 is the open-air space, 堂 is the hall; movement from 庭 to 堂 represents moving from the exterior into a covered interior.
• 庭 vs. 院 (yuàn): Both mean "courtyard," but 院 typically implies a more enclosed or walled compound. In very early texts, 庭 is the dominant term for these spaces.

Fanqie reading: 特丁; Tang-period reading: *dheng.