鬼

• Spirits of the deceased, particularly those who are "unsettled" (e.g., victims of violent death, those forgotten, or the displaced).
• Supernatural beings, especially when appearing in the compound 鬼神 (guǐshén), which encompasses deities and ancestral spirits.
• Metaphorical: Cunning, deception, strangeness, or surreptitiousness; used to describe a sinister or tricky nature when modifying behavior or the heart (心).
• Astronomical: The 23rd lunar mansion ($\theta$ Cancri) in astrological or calendrical contexts.

In early texts, a distinction is often made between 鬼 and 神 regarding cosmic order:

• 神 (shén): Spirits integrated into the celestial or ritual order, such as gods or properly venerated ancestors.
• 鬼 (guǐ): Spirits outside that order, specifically those who are marginalized, hungry, or disruptive.

Avoid anachronistic terms like "devil" or "demon," which imply inherent moral evil or a fallen state; a guǐ is more frequently characterized by misery, hunger, or displacement than by malice. Conversely, avoid translating as simply "spirit," as this may erase the specific connotations of death and displacement that distinguish it from shén.