also: こうぶり · かうぶり · かがふり
noun
Archaic term for social rank or order, especially in historical contexts such as court hierarchy. Not used in modern everyday Japanese.
古い文書では、「冠」をかぶりと読んで身分の序列を表すことがある。
In old documents, 冠 read as かぶり can indicate social rank or order.
位 is the common modern word for rank or grade, while 冠 (かぶり) is archaic and limited to historical usage.
Derived from the verb かぶる (to wear on the head), referring to the headgear that indicated one's rank in ancient court society. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.