son / child / seed / egg / small thing / 1st earthly branch: 11 p.m.-1 a.m., midnight, 11th solar month (7th December to 5th January), year of the Rat / Viscount, fourth of five orders of nobility 五等爵位 / ancient Chinese compass point: 0° (north)

(noun suffix)

the four book depositories, namely: classics 經｜经, history 史, philosophy 子, belles-lettres 集

the 12 earthly branches 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥, used cyclically in the calendar and as ordinal numbers I, II etc

order of feudal nobility, namely: Duke 公, Marquis 侯, Count 伯, Viscount 子, Baron 男

six close relatives, namely: father 父, mother 母, older brothers 兄, younger brothers 弟, wife 妻, male children 子 / one's kin

the 12 earthly branches 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥 (used cyclically in the calendar and as ordinal numbers)

same as 爵位, order of feudal nobility, namely: Duke 公, Marquis 侯, Count 伯, Viscount 子, Baron 男

five orders of feudal nobility, namely: Duke 公, Marquis 侯, Count 伯, Viscount 子, Baron 男

the 12 earthly branches 子, 丑, 寅, 卯, 辰, 巳, 午, 未, 申, 酉, 戌, 亥 (used cyclically in the calendar and as ordinal number)