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聖勅 (seichoku) Japanese meaning: imperial rescript | Kotomora

聖せい勅ちょく

せ

い

ちょ

く

Meanings

1

imperial rescript; imperial edict

Formal term for a written decree issued by an emperor, especially in historical contexts.

明めい治じ天皇てんのうの聖せい勅ちょくが公こう布ふされた。
The imperial rescript of Emperor Meiji was promulgated.

Kanji

聖holy, saint, sage
勅imperial order

Related words

勅ちょく令れい
勅令 is a broader term for an imperial ordinance or decree, while 聖勅 specifically refers to a rescript or edict with a more solemn or sacred connotation.

Etymology

Compound of 聖 (sei, 'holy, imperial') and 勅 (choku, 'imperial decree'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with formal imperial proclamations.