noun
ancient oriental belt ornament
Historical term for a type of belt or sash ornament used in ancient East Asia, often associated with ceremonial or official attire. Not used in modern everyday language.
古代中国の佩は、身分を示す装飾品だった。
In ancient China, the 佩 was an ornament that indicated social status.
counter
counter for swords
Only when written 佩
Archaic counter used specifically for swords, restricted to the kanji 佩. Found only in historical texts.
古い文献に「剣一佩」と記されている。
In old documents, it is written as 'one sword' using the counter 佩.
The kanji 佩 originally depicted a person wearing an ornament at the waist, later extended to mean 'to wear at the waist' and, by association, a belt ornament. The counter use for swords derives from the practice of wearing swords at the waist. The variant 珮 is a specialized character for jade ornaments.