Li Surname (郦)
| Li (郦) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Pronunciation | Lì (Mandarin) Lik (Cantonese) |
| Language(s) | Chinese |
| Origin | |
| Language(s) | Old Chinese |
| Word/Name | Li state |
Lì is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese surname written in traditional character and in simplified character. It is also spelled Lik according to the Cantonese pronunciation. It is listed 303rd in the Song Dynasty classic Hundred Family Surnames.
Li is an ancient surname originating from present-day Henan province. According to traditional accounts recorded in the 9th-century Tang Dynasty text Yuanhe Xing Zuan, after Yu the Great founded the Xia Dynasty, he enfeoffed Juan, a descendant of the Yellow Emperor, at the settlement of Li (modern Licheng Village 郦城村, Neixiang County, Henan), establishing the Li state. During the middle Spring and Autumn period, Li was conquered by the Jin state, one of the major powers of the period. The noble families of Li subsequently adopted the name of their former state as their surname.
Another origin is the non-Chinese Xirong tribe of Lishan (驪山), who used Lishan as their surname, later shortened to Li.
During the Chu–Han Contention, the brothers Li Yiji and Li Shang helped Liu Bang defeat Xiang Yu to establish the Han Dynasty in 206 BC. Li Yiji was a close advisor to Liu Bang but was executed by Liu's enemies when he tried to persuade them to surrender. Li Shang was a great general who became one of the Prime Ministers of Han. He was enfeoffed at Quzhou and awarded the noble title Marquis of Quzhou (曲周侯). Li Shang is commonly revered as the founding ancestor of the Li surname.
...
Wikipedia