ABSTRACT
The word or concept of ‘gentility’ as might be found in so many European or English lexicons has no perfect counterpart in literary Chinese. Yet the idea is useful enough in comparative perspective to warrant some overall consideration. First of all, in terms of related issues, three pairs of references or associations come to mind. First, in terms of class, the designation of a gentry (shi) status in contrast to that of commoners (su) connotes the social background or sociological indicator often connected to the collective character of class. Second, in terms of style, the elegant (ya) as opposed to the vulgar (shu) reminds people of a certain outward expression expected of members of the gentle class. Third, in terms of mannerisms, the literary, gracious, or cultivated (wen), the opposite or contrast of the uncouth, untamed, wild, even barbaric (ye), hints perhaps at some hidden quality often found embodied by those of gentle breeding.
