also: けいひち
heralding; clearing the way for a noble
Historical term for the practice of announcing and clearing the path for an imperial or high-ranking person's procession. Rare in modern Japanese; encountered mainly in historical or literary contexts.
Ancient documents record that heralding was performed before the passage of a noble person.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 警 (warn, admonish) and 蹕 (clear the way) are conventionally associated with the meaning of heralding or clearing a path for a dignitary.