Editing Shangdi (section)

== Etymology ==
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| footer = Shang oracular script graphs for 帝 ''Dì'', the supreme God as the [[celestial pole]].{{sfnb|Eno|2008|p=74}}
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"Shang Di" is the [[pinyin]] [[romanization of Chinese|romanization]] of two [[Chinese characters]]. The first {{ndash}} {{lang|zh|{{linktext|上}}}}, ''Shàng'' {{ndash}} means "high", "highest", "first", "primordial"; the second {{ndash}} {{lang|zh|{{linktext|帝}}}}, ''Dì'' {{ndash}} is typically considered as shorthand{{Citation needed|reason=No data cited to corroborate this confusion and claim. Di is generally understood as an archaic monosyllable word that is independent of its usage in Huangdi|date=January 2024}} for ''huangdi'' ({{lang|zh|皇帝}}) in modern Chinese, the title of the [[emperors of China]] first employed by [[Qin Shi Huang]], roughly some 2200 years ago, and is usually translated as "emperor". The word itself is derived from [[Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors|Three "Huang" and Five "Di"]], including [[Yellow Emperor]] ({{zh|c=黃帝|p=Huangdi}}), the mythological originator of the [[China|Chinese civilization]] and the ancestor of the Chinese race. However, {{lang|zh|帝}} refers to the High God of Shang, thus means "deity" (manifested god), .{{sfnb|Chang|2000}} Thus, the name ''Shangdi'' should be translated as "Highest Deity", but also has the implied meaning of "Primordial Deity" or "First Deity" in Classical Chinese. The deity preceded the title and the emperors of China were named after him in their role as ''[[Chinese sovereign|Tianzi]]'', the sons of Heaven. In the classical texts the highest conception of the heavens is frequently identified with Shang Di, who is described somewhat anthropomorphically. He is also associated with the pole star. The conceptions of the Supreme Ruler (Shang Di) and of the Sublime Heavens ({{zh|c=皇天|w=Huang-t'ien}}) afterward coalesce or absorb each other.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Religions of the World: Their Nature and their History|last=Clemen|first=Carl|author-link=Carl Clemen|orig-year=1931|publisher=Cosmos Publications|year=2005|isbn=81-7755-927-3|location=New Delhi}}</ref>

=== Shang dynasty usage ===

The Shang pronunciation of "Di" is reconstructed as ''*têks''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Baxter|first1=William H.|author1-link=William H. Baxter|last2=Sagart|first2=Laurent|author2-link=Laurent Sagart|year=2014|page=35|title=Baxter-Sagart Old Chinese reconstruction, v.1.1|url=http://ocbaxtersagart.lsait.lsa.umich.edu/BaxterSagartOCbyMandarinMC2014-09-20.pdf}}</ref> The Shang dynasty designed 23 versions of Di, all based on a common pattern and shape.<ref>{{cite book|last=Zhou, Fagao (周法高)|title=Jinwen gulin (金文詁林)|publisher=Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong|date=1974}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Zhou, Fagao (周法高)|title=Jinwen gulin bu 金文詁林補|publisher=Nangang: Zhongyang yanjiu yuan, Lishi-yuyan yanjiusuo|date=1982}}</ref> The word finds itself in many inscriptional contexts, including use in collocation with natural spirits or addressing ancestral deities. There was a type of offerings named "Di-sacrifice", designed for hosting Di's representatives.
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