◎ 五刑 wǔxíng
[the five chief forms of punishment in ancient China] 我國古代的五種刑罰,通常指墨、劓、宮、大辟,也指笞、杖、徒、流、死
古代五種輕重不等的刑法:(1) 秦以前為墨、劓、剕、宮、大辟。《書經.舜典》:「汝作士,五刑有服。」漢.孔安國.傳:「五刑,墨、劓、剕、宮、大辟。」(2) 秦漢時為黥、劓、斬左右趾、梟首、菹其骨肉。《漢書.卷二三.刑法志》:「令曰:『當三族者,皆先黥、劓、斬左右止、笞殺之,梟其首,菹其骨肉於市。其誹謗詈詛者,又先斷舌。』故謂之具五刑。」(3) 隋唐以後為死、流、徒、杖、笞。《舊唐書.卷五○.刑法志》:「有笞、杖、徒、流、死為五刑。」(4) 現行刑法分為死刑、無期徒刑、有期徒刑、拘役、罰金五項。
英語 imperial five punishments of feudal China, up to Han times: tattooing characters on the forehead 墨[mo4], cutting off the nose 劓[yi4], amputation of one or both feet 刖[yue4], castration 宮|宫[gong1], execution 大辟[da4 pi4], Han dynasty onwards: whipping 笞[chi1], beating the legs and buttocks with rough thorns 杖[zhang4], forced labor 徒[tu2], exile or banishment 流[liu2], capital punishment 死[si3]