# 委質
## Chinese
### Etymology

Yang (1965) accepts the interpretation of 質 (OC *tids, *tjid) as alternative of 贄 (OC *tjibs, “ceremonial gift”). Between peers, the gifts were meant to be ceremonially returned. Unlike that, the complete entrustment of the gifts – 委 (OC *qrolʔ) – signified the loyalty and obligations of the homage-payer, and their material acceptance was an expression of superiority.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): wěizhì
    (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˇ ㄓˋ
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: wěizhì
*** Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˇ ㄓˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: wěijhìh
*** Wade–Giles: wei$^3$-chih$^4$
*** Yale: wěi-jr̀
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: woeijyh
*** Palladius: вэйчжи (vɛjčži)
*** Sinological IPA : /weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
* Middle Chinese: 'jweX trijH|tsyit
Rime :
| Character | 委 | 質 | 質 |
| Reading # | 2/2 | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 影 (34) | 知 (9) | 章 (23) |
| Final (韻) | 支 (14) | 脂 (17) | 質 (48) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) | Departing (H) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Closed | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | III | III | III |
| Fanqie | 於詭切 | 陟利切 | 之日切 |
| Baxter | 'jweX | trijH | tsyit |
| Reconstructions ||||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ʔˠiuᴇ$^X$/ | /ʈˠiɪ$^H$/ | /t͡ɕiɪt̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ʔʷᵚiɛ$^X$/ | /ʈᵚi$^H$/ | /t͡ɕit̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ʔiuɛ$^X$/ | /ȶiɪ$^H$/ | /t͡ɕjet̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ʔjwiə̆$^X$/ | /ʈji$^H$/ | /cit̚/ |
| Li Rong | /ʔjue$^X$/ | /ȶji$^H$/ | /t͡ɕiĕt̚/ |
| Wang Li | /ǐwe$^X$/ | /ȶi$^H$/ | /t͡ɕĭĕt̚/ |
| Bernard Karlgren | /ʔwie̯$^X$/ | /ȶi$^H$/ | /t͡ɕi̯ĕt̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | wěi | zhì | zhi |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | wai$^2$ | zi$^3$ | zat$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*q(r)ojʔ [t]<r>ip-s|t-lit/
    (Zhengzhang): /*qrolʔ tids|tjid/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 委 | 質 | 質 |
| Reading # | 2/4 | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | wěi | zhì | zhì |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ ʔjwe$^X$ › | ‹ trij$^H$ › | ‹ tsyit › |
| Old Chinese | /*q(r)ojʔ/ | /*[t]<r>ip-s/ | /*t-lit/ |
| English | entrust to | hostage; gift | substance, solid part |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 委 | 質 | 質 |
| Reading # | 2/2 | 1/2 | 2/2 |
| No. | 12903 | 17397 | 17401 |
| Phonetic component | 委 | 質 | 質 |
| Rime group | 歌 | 至 | 質 |
| Rime subdivision | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 委 | 致 | 質 |
| Old Chinese | /*qrolʔ/ | /*tids/ | /*tjid/ |
| Notes | | | 金文本從折聲 |

### Verb

委質
* (literary) to pledge one's loyalty; to swear allegiance; to pay homage (as subject or disciple)
    From: Guoyu, circa 4th century BCE
    Chén wěizhì yú Dí zhī Gǔ, wèi wěizhì yú Jìn zhī Gǔ yě. [Pinyin]
    This vanquished man swore allegiance to (the land of) Gu of Di but never did so to Gu of Jin.
    From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
    Kǒngzǐ shè lǐ shāo yòu Zǐlù, Zǐlù hòu rúfú wěizhì, yīn ménrén qǐng wéi dìzǐ. [Pinyin]
    Confucius exhibited some of the proper ceremonies to Zilu to whet his appetite in the Confucian way. Afterwards, Zilu donned the clothing of a scholar, pledged his loyalty, and requested admission as a disciple via the students.