第

Derived characters

 * 𡠨

Glyph origin
. here refers to the bamboo strips used for writing (e.g. accounting, classification) in ancient times. See also.

Alternatively, may have originally been written.

Etymology 1
Karlgren (1956: 14) connects this word with → tī 梯 ‘ladder’.

Definitions

 * 1) sequence; number
 * 2) grade; degree
 * 3)  rank in the imperial examinations

Etymology 2
Contraction of.

Definitions

 * 1)  different; another; other

Etymology 3
Contraction of.

Definitions

 * 1)  most

Etymology 4
From or.

Definitions

 * 1)  this

Usage notes
This pronunciation was used in both Songjiang and urban Shanghai in the 19th Century, but is obsolete in all forms of modern Shanghainese, having been replaced by the glottalized variant. The character 第 is still occasionally used to write the latter pronunciation.

Descendants
Others:

Prefix

 * 1) ordinal marker, often with affix

Etymology
From.