瑤柱

Chinese

		(jade); Yao; mother-of-pearl	pillar
trad. (瑤柱)		瑤	柱
simp. (瑶柱)		瑶	柱
alternative forms		珧柱 rare

Etymology

Clipping of 江瑤柱 / 江瑶柱 (jiāngyáozhù).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yáozhù

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄠˊ ㄓㄨˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu⁴ cyu⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yáozhù
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄠˊ ㄓㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yáojhù
    • Wade–Giles: yao²-chu⁴
    • Yale: yáu-jù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yaujuh
    • Palladius: яочжу (jaočžu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jiu⁴ cyu⁵
    • Yale: yìuh chyúh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jiu⁴ tsy⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: yiu⁴ qu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːu̯²¹ t͡sʰyː¹³/

Noun

瑤柱

1. (strictly) dried adductor of pen shells; (loosely) conpoy

   • 余猶山中人，歸自海上，盛稱海錯之美，鄉人競來共舐其眼。嗟嗟！金齏瑤柱，過舌即空，則舐眼亦何救其饞哉！ [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     余犹山中人，归自海上，盛称海错之美，乡人竞来共舐其眼。嗟嗟！金齑瑶柱，过舌即空，则舐眼亦何救其馋哉！ [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: Aug. 20, 1671, Zhang Dai, Preface to Recollections of My Dreams On the West Lake

     Yú yóu shān zhōng rén, guī zì hǎishàng, shèng chēng hǎicuò zhī měi, xiāngrén jìng lái gòng shì qí yǎn. Jiējiē! Jīnjī yáozhù, guò shé jí kōng, zé shì yǎn yì hé jiù qí chán zāi! [Pinyin]

     Like a mountaineer returning from the sea, I extol the delicious tastes of the seafood profusely, while my townsmen vie with each other to listen to my bragging talks. Well, even the most delicious food like shredded fish or dried scallops will become nothing once swallowed down to the stomach, so how can my hot air satisfy people's craving?