sì'ēdǐng 四阿頂

Note

Si'e (literally “fourfold” “slopes” Kroll 2015, 429, 98) is a roof type usually translated “hip roof” in a literal translation of the specific roof type in English. Until the Tang and Song Dynasties, it was generally believed that “e 阿” referred to the roof eaves, and that "si`e " (four eaves) therefore meant the eaves on all four sides of a building. In the Yingzao fashi 營造法式 (1103), the si`e hall（si’e diange 四阿殿閣) is also called "five-ridge hall”（wuji dian 五脊殿) as well as "wudian” 吳殿) , referring to a roof with a central ridge, and four sloping ridges where the surfaces of the roof slopes meet. According to references in ancient texts, the term si`e 四阿 first appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and was used until the Qing Dynasty. However, in records before the Tang Dynasty, it is difficult to understand the precise meaning of the term. In the Qing Dynasty, this kind of roof was generally called wudianding 廡殿頂.

唐宋時期普遍認為“阿”即屋檐，“四阿”其字面意義即四面屋檐。宋《營造法式》中又称“四阿殿閣”为“五脊殿”（法式引註），以此推斷“四阿”指具有一道正脊、四條垂脊、四面坡的屋頂形式。目前已知“四阿”一詞最早出現在春秋時期，且一直沿用至清代。但唐之前其明确含義難以明了。明清時期的文獻中較少使用“四阿”來描述當時具有五脊四坡屋頂的建築，清代普遍稱這種屋頂為“廡殿頂”。（Jia Tingli賈亭立， Ma Jiaqi 馬嘉琪）

Related concepts

Related terms: wǔjǐdiàn 五脊殿，wúdiàn 吴殿，wǔdiàn 廡殿，wǔdiàndǐng 廡殿顶，sìpōdǐng 四坡顶

wǔdiàn 廡殿

Broad Match: roof types