荐

• Concrete: Straw or reed matting; bedding.
• Ritual: To present an offering; to bring a sacrificial object forward.
• Social/Administrative: To recommend or introduce a person for a position or office.
• Sequential: To repeat, reoccur, or follow in succession.

• Primarily functions as a transitive verb (e.g., to recommend X; to offer Y).
• Functions as a noun when referring to the physical object (matting).

• Contrast with 奠: While 奠 emphasizes settling, establishing, or the offering itself, 荐 emphasizes the act of bringing forward or presenting.

• Variants: 荐 and 薦 are orthographic variants and interchangeable for translation purposes.

In early strata of text, prioritize the concrete sense (matting) or ritual offering over "recommend." The meaning typically evolved chronologically from mat → offering → recommendation; check the date and genre of the source to determine the most likely sense.