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僧階 (そうかい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

僧そう階かい

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う

か

い

Meanings

1

monastic rank; rank of a monk

Buddhist term referring to the hierarchical rank or title within a monastic order.

彼かれは僧そう階かいが上あがり、住じゅう職しょくになった。

Kanji

僧Buddhist priest, monk
階storey, stair, counter for storeys of a building

Related words

僧そう位い
僧位 refers specifically to the rank or title conferred by the imperial court, while 僧階 is a broader term for monastic rank within Buddhist orders.
階かい級きゅう
階級 is a general term for class, rank, or grade in any hierarchy, whereas 僧階 is specifically for Buddhist monks.

Etymology

He rose in monastic rank and became the chief priest.

Compound of 僧 (monk) and 階 (rank, floor). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally used in Buddhist contexts.