Chinese Characters

An Ideographic Approach, Volume 2

D Rajeev
The subsequent volumes of this book may be downloaded from ChineseIdeographs.com
2010. Dileep Rajeev. All Rights Reserved. No part of the book may be reproduced without prior permission of the author. The book may not be redistributed or posted on another source for download.

Understanding the Chinese Language

Evolving with any civilization or a group of humans is a shared consciousness of concepts whose meaning is readily perceived by those belonging to the group. The manifested form of these concepts carry with them the characteristic of that group the unique process of evolution the collective consciousness of theirs underwent. Hence, the manifested form of concepts, be they beauty, goodness or strength, differ from civilization to civilization. Language is a layer of symbols over such a collective consciousness. Mechanisms in this shared human psyche ascribe to concepts in it sound-symbols sound forms capable of evoking in the consciousness the concepts they represent the words of a spoken language. Spoken forms tend to quickly deviate from a state of symbolic purity, in which each word is a distinct soundsymbol for a concept. By phonetic decay, for instance words spoken in quick succession coalesce together to form new words.

A phonetic script, being merely a system of transcribing the spoken form, is incapable of preserving the symbolic purity of language. As the spoken form deviates, the written form deviates as well. Chinese, on the other hand, has a script that is, in itself, symbolic in nature its visual form directly evokes in the consciousness the meaning it symbolizes, the concept over which it forms a symbolic layer. Such a system of writing ties the language tightly with the collective consciousness, preserves the symbolic purity of language, and increases its potency as a mechanism of exchanging thought. The evolution of the language becomes directly driven by the evolution of the collective consciousness.

Visual Symbolism
Symbolic forms having layers of meaning, any interpretation of a characters visual form can only serve as a guide to understanding it. The accurate meaning it represents has to be perceived consciously through direct and objective experience of the meaning its visual form evokes. Layers of meaning can be consciously
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uncovered, the symbol conveying a deeper meaning at each level. The meaning conveyed by a symbol depends on the context in which it occurs. The hand, appearing in its reduced form , in the characters (d,hit), (n, press), (ci, gather), etc., symbolize action. The same symbol in (bi, to honor) shows two hands brought together in a gesture of respect. The role the component plays in (n, take) is slightly different in it, (shu) 'hand' is modified with (h) 'combine' to symbolize the fingers closing together to take something. Just as a character is more than the sum of its parts, a phrase carries meaning beyond the individual meaning of its parts that is, how a character lends to the meaning of a phrase depends on the context in which it occurs. The form , in itself, symbolizes talent, ability, activity, etc., in a purely abstract manner, depicting an active principle, symbolized by a vertical line, breaking through a hindrance. The same form , when modified by the character (gng, firm), in , conveys the meaning just now the energy associated with the

active principle, symbolized by , being firm , strongly manifesting, when it has just acted.

Figure 1. The ancient form of , depicting an active principle, symbolized by a vertical line, breaking through a hindrance talent, ability, etc.

components

Sound symbolism and phonetic

The sound-forms of Chinese characters evoke in the mind of the listener the concept or the meaning it symbolizes. The sound kng , as it is intoned in Chinese, with a high level tone, produces a sound similar to one created when an empty vessel is hit, evoking in the mind a feeling of emptiness and conveying, symbolically, the meaning of the character empty, hollow, a space, etc. The sound (n), evoking a sense of tranquil stillness, conveys the characters meaning quiet, still, peaceful. Sound symbolism of this nature exists in all Chinese characters and meditating on the sound form of a character can help fully understand its
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meaning, and, conversely, to accurately understand its intoned form. Chinese characters are intoned in one of five different tones which make their sound form symbolic to a greater degree allowing the meaning to evolve from the movement of intoned sound as well. First tone, (,literal meaning: yin level) a steady, high sound as in (kng). Second tone, (,literal meaning: yang level) sound rises from mid-level to high as in (rn). Third tone (, literal meaning: up tone) the pitch falls a little and then rises as in (ho). Fourth tone, falling tone (, literal meaning: leaving tone) as in (rn), where the pitch descends sharply from high to low. Fifth tone or zeroth tone (, literal meaning: light tone), - intoned with a neutral sound as in (de).

Figure 2. In the ancient form of , (ci) combines with (t) 'land' to form (zi). The place where the activity is happening at, in, on.

A component of a character is called phonetic if its pronunciation hints at the pronunciation of the character as (ci) does in (zi). A phonetic component lends to the symbolism of the character through its sound-form. Not all characters have a phonetic component, and, in the majority of cases, the phonetic component is signific as a visual form as well.

How to use this book

Chinese, contrary to popular belief, is the simplest language to learn. It has no complex grammar, the words are simple ideograms, each carrying an inherent visual logic which makes its meaning apparent from its written form, and the symbolic sound-forms allow for the pronunciation to be easily internalized. This completely obviates the need for rote memorization often needed when mastering the vocabulary of a new language. If taught scientifically, the student can pick up a vocabulary of over 3000 characters, enough to read most newspapers with a reasonable level of comprehension, in two to three months time. Learning to write Chinese requires focused effort and practice, and is beyond the scope of this book. The author is of the opinion that learning to write is best postponed till the student has had a reasonable level of familiarity with the language. Chinese can easily be input in a word editor, through tools such as Microsofts IME for Chinese, by entering in English the pronunciation of the character.

Organization of each page

On each page is given a character, its ancient forms, its pronunciation and an explanation of how the ideogram symbolizes its meaning.

The ancient forms

The three boxes on the right show the ancient forms of the character. The top-most box shows how the character was written around 1800 B.C. 1100 B.C. Samples of writing from this era have come down to us through engravings on tortoise shells and ox scapulas used during divination ceremonies. Parallel rows of holes would be bored in the bone, the question would be raised to the oracle, and a heated bronze rod applied at each hole. From the crack patterns formed on the shell by heat, the oracles answer would be divined. Both the question and the answer would later be engraved on reverse side the bone used. For this reason, writing of this era is often referred to as the oracle bone script. The box in the middle-right of the page carries samples of the character as written around 1100 B.C. 200 B.C.
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Samples of this writing, referred to as the bronze script, reached us through thousands of bronze vessels and articles with inscriptions of major events. At the bottom-right are given samples of seal script writing dating from around 200 B.C to 200 A.D. While the surface forms of characters have undergone considerable evolution, the idea behind them, what the characters symbolize, has, for most part, remained the same. Some changes in forms reflect enriched thought; others are the result of corruptions that set in over time. A major of set of corruptions occurred when a tyrant ordered a burning of all manuscripts in early 3rd century B.C. A standardization of the script followed shortly, ironically, under supervision of the minister who had instigated the king to burn the manuscripts. Attempts at rectification in the later centuries, the most ambitious among which was the etymological dictionary Shuo Wen of 2nd century A.D., were partly successful. Archeological data, a lot of which emerged in the 20th century, presented here among the bronze script and oracle bone script forms, enable us to see how the characters were originally formed. Seal script forms

include characters which followed the standardization of 3rd century B.C. In this book the seal script forms presented are carefully chosen and the corrupted variants are avoided, unless they serve a pedagogical purpose. An account of the languages evolution can be found in Karlgrens Sound and Symbol in Chinese.

Studying a character
The reader is urged to actively engage himself in the learning process. When learning a character, start by reading its ideographic interpretation. Then, explore the ancient forms given, paying attention to how the ideographic interpretation applies to the ancient forms, and how the visual form evolved with time. Actively analyzing this would be sufficient to imprint the character in your memory. When learning, there is little need to try to memorize the modern written form it would be sufficient to develop an understanding of how the form symbolizes its meaning, and of how it evolved. Each character can allow for different ideographic interpretations, so actively explore the ancient forms, and try to come up with your own interpretations.
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The sound of Chinese characters are symbolic. That is, the sound evokes in the mind the meaning suggested by the character. This symbolic quality can be leveraged to effortlessly learn the pronunciation of the characters: Intone each character, repeatedly, with a clam mind, till you develop an intuitive feel for how the sound form brings out the characters meaning. Attempt to consciously perceive the sense conveyed by the sound. Correlate the meaning you perceive evolving from the sound form, with the meaning evolving from the visual form. When the same character has multiple pronunciations, they are symbolic layers over two closely related concepts symbolized by the visual form. The pronunciation of each character is given in Pinyin, a system for writing Chinese characters in the Roman alphabet. The reader who is not familiar with the system is urged to avail any one of the several free multimedia resources available online, or interact with a Chinese speaker to understand tones and the pinyin system. A system of color codes is used in the book to help you remember the tones. Characters in the first tone, a high metallic tone, are shown in a metallic silver color. For the second tone, the color of fire, yellow-orange is used - the sound rises in it as flames do. Third tone characters are

shown in green, the color of plants, of wood as the sound bends, as wood does, in the third tone. For the fourth tone, a falling tone, a heavy, deep shade of blue is used. The fifth tone or the neutral tone is colorless. Visualizing the characters in their corresponding tonecolor, as you learn them, would help retain the tone in memory. Different characters having the same pinyin phoneticization often differ subtly in the way they are actually pronounced, in factors such as the stress given to a particular sound. The same character when carrying different shades of meanings are intoned in ways that slightly differ to bring out the meaning through intoned sound. The reader will develop a natural intuition for the right way to pronounce the characters, and of the role played by the tones, as he progresses in study, through the method outlined here.

Recommended resources
The electronic dictionary Wenlin is one of the best available resources for a student of Chinese and is highly recommended.

Essential for internalizing a vocabulary is seeing the words used in various contexts. Once the reader has gained a basic vocabulary, he is encouraged to start reading Chinese texts with Wenlins mouse-over translation facility. For an introduction to the language and an outline of grammar, the book Teach Yourself Chinese published by McGraw Hill is recommended. To learn to write Chinese characters, Johan Bjrkstns "Learn to Write Chinese Characters" is recommended, together with Wenlins Stroke Box tool, which animates the stroke order of each character.

sh zh

Sh: Family, a clan, suffix used after surnames. Zh: The name of a tribe. The term YuZh referred to the nomadic people living in central Asia. A floating plant, without roots, that ramifies and grows, like the Nymphaea, so common in China, Euryale ferox and others, that spring up from a grain, float first, then fix themselves and acquire in a short time a prodigious development. By extension, development, multiplication; a wandering horde of primitive times, a clan, a family. Wieger . The modern form shows the leaves of Nymphaea which overlap each other.

People, humanity, the masses.

mn

A form resembling . A proliferous plant, producing multiple offshoots; the modern form is a derivative of the ancient pictorial representation(), says the Shuo Wen. A particular ancient form of the character shows an eye above a symbol similar to the ancient form of ( , a symbol of expanse in all directions). The role of the eye here seems similar to the Egyptian Eye of Horus - an all seeign eye, symbolic of divine protection; of gods overlooking human affairs.
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She, her.

From (n, woman) and (y, also). The character was a variant of (ji, sister). In recent times, was borrowed as a substitute for (t, he, she, it) for the specific meaning she.

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shn

Expand, stretch out, express, explain, state, explicate, the ninth of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches. The ancient form of the symbol shows two alternatively expanding cosmic forces. A causational mechanism behind natural changes. Note how the various meanings evolve from the idea of expansion, of extension. Later, the picture of two hands stretching a rope was used to symbolize the idea. By the time of the Shuo Wen, the rope in the middle of the character was interpreted as a man standing, girding himself with both hands.

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Rain. : Rain water.

Picture of raindrops falling from the sky. When occurring as a component, is abbreviated to , as in (din, lightning).

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Lightning. From (y, rain) and (shn, an expanding force).

din

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zhng zhng

Kind, seed, species, genus, breed. In the fourth tone( zhng), the character acts as a verb, with the meaning to plant, cultivate, sow, etc. (h, grain) conveys the meaning seed, a kind , etc. (zhng, important) is phonetic and also contributes to the meaning: a major classification : species, genus, etc.

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Sheep.

yng

Picture of a sheep, as seen from above. The horns, the head, the body the four legs and tail are shown. Other ancient forms, such as to show a sheeps head. , seem

Sheep is associated with goodness, as its nature is to be meek, to conform. Ancient Chinese traditions hold that a good person is one who conforms to the ways of nature, to the standards of conduct laid out by Heavens.
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Beautiful, pretty. From and . Immense Goodness : Beauty.
by , of surface beauty, is different from what

mi

Note that when occurring as a component, is often written , with the tail left out.
Among the several variants of the character seen in seal script writing is: .A surface quality that fades with time. However, the concept symbolized ( mi) symbolizes. 17


High, tall.

go

The Shuo Wen uses the character (chng, high/ sublime) to describe the meaning of . Shuo Wen. Picture of a tall tower used for observation. and show a shed like structure underneath.
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representation of a thick bush, of arborisation .

Occupation, business, trade, job. Karma in Buddhist traditions. The top part of the character is (zhu, bush) pictographic

"A tree crowded with its foliage. The moral foliage, the deeds of a man, the affairs upon which he exerts his activity, and what he acquires by his doings, viz. merits, goods, titles, etc." --Wieger.
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But, yet, however, still, nevertheless.

dn

(dn, dawn) shows the sun just above the horizon. Here the character plays a phonetic role, and being symbolic of a new day, gives forth the sense: a new scenario, an alternate scenario, a different perspective. A person viewing things in a different light : however, nevertheless, but.
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Law, way, method, the Dharma in Buddhist traditions. is the picture of a celestial deer. Used here to indicate that the Law cannot be directly touched, according to traditional interpretations. . The flow , a fundamental principle, which all celestial phenomenon follow ( the sense here, conveyed by flowing water and together, is go along with) a Cosmic Law. Another interpretation: To go along with() the celestial flow is the Law. 21

Note:{+}[], says the Shuo Wen, describing . ( ) is described by the Shuo Wen as a single horned animal, resembling a mountain deer.

He, she, it, they; his, her, its, their. Used for reasons of euphony, and to expand a single-syllable word to a two-syllable word. (qt) : Others ; (yuq): Especially. The character is the image of a winnowing basket. The symbol was later borrowed to represent pronouns. Winnowing basket is now written (j), with the radical for bamboo added on top. Certain ancient forms, such as , show a person working with a winnowing pan. The pronunciation might be related to the sound made when rice is winnowed. is used to expand a single-syllable word or for euphony, as it does not modify the sense of the character thus expanded. A winnow does not affect the quality of the rice processed in it, but merely serves to remove the chaff. contains the energy of the word or the phrase it modifies. When used as a pronoun, it carries the energy of the noun referred to.
Note: The reader might find it helpful to think of the character as a winnow working on the energy of the adjacent words. In, the character refines the energy of .

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Reason, logic, truth, manage, run.

is polished jade and suggests the meaning principles, reason, logic, etc. (l, a neighborhood) plays a phonetic role and also suggests that principles and theories only hold good within a limited expanse, that they are limited in their scope. As a verb, means to manage, run, put in order. To polish, to beautify , to bring order to things within a region . The Shuo Wen gives the meaning of the character as to polish jade (). "Polish gems according to the veins; dispose, regulate, manage, govern; rules, law; principle, doctrine, reason; reasonable, right," says Karlgren.
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This.

To stop and turn sideways to observe something. Here, this.

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Some, a few, a little, these.

xi

From (c, this) and (r, two). suggests more than one.

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Solid, full, tangible, substantial, real, practical.

sh

shows a string of holed copper coins. A string of cash under a roof substantial, solid.
Notes: here represents money and commodities(), according to the Shuo Wen. . Shuo Wen. The character , by itself, is described by the Shuo Wen as the image of a string of copper coins. (gun) now carries the meanings: thread for stringing holed copper coins, thread together, pass through, etc. Shuo Wen gives the meaning (f; wealth, affluence) for the character . Bronze script forms suggest that the component in that has now come to resemble (gun) might have evolved from the image of a ( dng) with above it the field of influence of a household a measure of their wealth or affluence. See the explanation of , later on in this volume, where the symbolism behind is also touched upon.

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Moon, month. Picture of the moon.

yu

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Beat, strike.

A hand holding a stick or an axe, indicating an action that involves effort, or use of force. As a component, is reduced to . "A right hand equipped with a mattock or axe held high" -Lindqvist. By the time of seal script writing, the axe or the mattock had been replaced with (b, divination). To act,or to put in effort, to fulfill a prognostication. The Shuo Wen says is phonetic. Etymologically the same word as ( p), according to Karlgren.
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And, together with, give, offer, support, assist, participate. At the center of the character is (y, a spoon with something contained) . Holding the spoon are two pairs of hands: , ,(y, lift). To work together, support, assist, to participate. When meaning participate, the character is written in the fourth tone: as in (cny, participate in) The two pairs of hands may be interpreted as that of the giver and the receiver when the character is used to represent give. The bronze script forms have the symbol for teeth (,y, picture of interlocked teeth) in the middle the teeth work together, when chewing food. will be explained in greater detail later on.

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Government, administration, management.

zhng

To put in effort (, picture of a hand holding a stick) to rectify to govern. The role the government ought to play is one of upholding righteousness and virtue, according to traditional Chinese thought.

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No, negate, deny. : whether. P: bad; inferior.

fu p

Words produced by the mouth which express negation . . Pronounced (p), the character refers to words expressing negation arising from a sense of contempt, or words made in reference to something of undesirable nature. The hexagram (obstruction), composed of over , is called (p).
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To spit out.

pu

The original character was composed of a dot over . To cut a speaker short by interrupting him in his speech, as a dot , a denegation or that puff that is used in China to express contempt. - Wieger The character was later borrowed for the idea to spit out and represented the notions to not accept, to express contempt, etc. A seal script form seems to show a person spitting into a spittoon only as a component. (). In modern Chinese, the character occurs

- Shuo Wen
Note: In the modern form, the top part of the character has come to resemble (l, stand). Here the it has nothing to do with (stand) and the form was intended to convey the sense to emit outdepicting something emitted out of a mouth.

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Part, section, unit, troops, subordinate.

(pu) is phonetic and the component on the right (, y, picture of a person bowing to commands issued- indicative of conformance) is signific, says the Shuo Wen. A part conforms (), in its nature, to the whole. A subordinate unit , subject to harsh commanding words from superiors. carries the meaning command in literary Chinese.

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Ear. The picture of a human ear.

The character may also be used to refer to the handle of a vessel, to a side, etc.

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To take, get, fetch, pick.

From (yu, the picture of a hand) and (r, ear). To pick an object by its ear.

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Most, used to form superlatives.

zu

(, mo) is a type of hat. The two lines show decorations on it, according to the Shuo Wen. A:To (q, take/ pick) the top-most of A. Hence: most, a superlative. E.g.: (zu) (nn, difficult): most difficult.
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Perpetually, forever, always, eternal.

yng

Image of a man swimming in a river. The flowing river symbolizes time a mans journey through time eternal, forever. Yng is the sound of swimming. The modern form resembles (shu, water). The Shuo Wen interprets the character as symbolizing the underground streams of water , which were thought to flow uninterrupted. Wieger gives the Shuo Wen explanation: "The unceasing flow of water veins in the earth."

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Appearance, shape, form, pattern, model.

yng

(m, wood) suggests a framework, a model, a pattern. The component on the right is , (, yng, flowing of water). is composed of (yang, phonetic and also indicating calm, uniform, un-turbid flow) and (yng, endless flow) . In this character, is phonetic, and signific, in that it symbolizes the flow of fundamental energies in nature which give rise to the manifold forms. Wieger gives the meanings uniformity, model, pattern for . Remember that the sheep symbolizes goodness, calm conformance to higher forces. As a mnemonic: Picture of a sheep drinking from a stream running through the woods a scenery by extension: appearance, form, etc.

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Tasty, sweet, pleasant, satisfactory. As an adverb: willing, of one's own accord. . (y, one ) here conveys the sense whole, harmonious, pleasant. (ku, a mouth) coveys the sense taste. Something of sweet taste, symbolized as , held in the mouth .
Note: Sweetness of something held in the mouth ; good, sweet, by extension, satisfaction, affection, according to Wieger.

gn

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Sound, tone, music, a musical note.

yn

Sound, born in the heart and intoned in a restrained manner (), says the Shuo Wen. The old form of is similar to that of , except that in place of (ku, mouth ) is (gn, sweet/fine/pleasant). Here the contained within might either have represented a musical instrument or the composite was intended to convey the sense pleasant / fine as musical sound would be. , as it does the in older forms of , conveys the idea of intent. A tone or any musical sound produced carries the intent of the musician.

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Idea, meaning, intent, wish, suggestion, hint "The sound in the heart," says Karlgren.

Thoughts emerging from the heart. An intent, emerging from the heart. The meaning one associates with a word is what it evokes in the heart.

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Advance, go forward.

jn

Movement of nature as the forward flight of a bird .

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gn

Straightforward, outspoken, blunt, not movable. Said of personality honest, upright. A person staring blunt, forthright. Extended meanings include straightforward, honest. Not movable, hence the name of the trigram (mountain). To turn around , to stare a man full in his face - forthright, defiant.
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Very, quite, awfully.

hn

A person adamantly sticking to a course a word serving as an intensifier for the idea it modifies - very. To attempt to move a forthright individual a very difficult task.

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J: How many, how much, indicating a count: a few, several, some. J: small, tiny, slight, almost, nearly. The many threads on a loom ( indicating a knitting instrument made of metal and , a person working on it). The traditional explanation is that the character shows the frontier guards , who are attentive to the slightest movement. They keep count of those who cross the border. (sh, garrison), once written , border guard holding a lance . , , , etc., shows a
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j j


Machine, mechanism, a key link.

The frame of a machine is made of wood . Its parts must be connected together, with attention to the slightest detail. here may also be interpreted as representing interconnected metallic parts , such as the gears of a machine. Designed and controlled by man . also conveys the sense logic, reason, logical connections.
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b : A verb meaning grasp, hold, a verbal measure word ( indicating the number of times an action is performed) for movements of the hand , a measure word for things with handles. A grammatical particle indicating the thing dealt with by the action. b : Noun referring to a handle or a grip.
The ancient form of (b) shows a person catching a kind of animal, a sticky insect, caught in primitive times for food: . The characteris now used to indicate the meanings closeness, adhesion, an appendage, etc. From and - to catch, grasp, hold. As a grammatical particle: A implies that A is the part of the phrase which is acted upon by the verb, by the action.

b b

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Complete, whole, full, total.

qun

From(r, enter) and , a pure, perfect piece of jade () . A work is complete when it enters a state of perfection. By extension, entirely, completely, etc.

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Black, dark, shady.

hi

On the top of the character is the ancient symbol for a window. The black specks of soot that form on a window near a fire place .

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Fortune telling

zhn

From(b, the cracks made by heat turtle shells based on which divination was done) and (ku, mouth). What the pattern of cracks on a turtle shell says .

50


To occupy, to usurp, to take.

zhn

The oracle was consulted before military or business endeavors. Hence, a person taking a stance for his gain, based on a divination .

51


Dot, a little, a bit, a speck.

din

The specks of soot which fly when turtle shells are exposed to heat in a prognostication ceremony.

52


Four.

. Form of the character indicates the divisibility of number four, according to the Shuo Wen. "Four. Numerical sign. Even number, which is easily divided into two halves. The old form graphically represents the division of into halves" - Wieger.
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yn

Cause, reason, because, as, on the basis of, on account of Picture of a man lying on a mat. That upon which an argument rests the reason, the cause, the basis. Mattress is written (yn) with(co, grass) added on top. Mattresses were once stuffed with hay .

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That, then, in that case.

From( y) 'city' and , a kind of clothing made of hemp. was once the name of a city and the character was later borrowed for the meaning that. As a mnemonic: That place where people wear clothes of hemp .

55

A question particle: Which, where, what. The exact meaning of the character is to be understood from context. Here, indicates a spoken question and (n) is phonetic indicates the sound of the question particle.

56


Increase, augment, add, append

ji

. From and . Words which support, which add strength . By extension: augment, append, add. Alternate Interpretation: To put in further effort, or apply further strength , to within a region to augment.

57


Face, surface, a side, an aspect.

min

Picture of a human face, with an eye prominently shown.

58


Outside, exterior

wi

is the picture of a crescent moon (). Divination was done outdoors, in the moonlight .

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dng

Calm, stabled, tranquil, settled, fixed, certain, for sure. A roof under which there is rectitude calm, stable. A house , or a region, where everything is righteous is tranquil, is stable.

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Cinnabar, red.

dn

A red speck of cinnabar in a "crucible of the Taoist alchemists," according to Wieger. Cinnabar is a bright red crystalline mineral Mercuric Sulfide. References to Cinnabar abound in Chinese alchemical texts. In many ancient traditions, Mercury is considered symbolic of the Feminine energies and Sulphur of Masculine energies. Cinnabar could thus have been an allegorical reference to the interaction of Yin and Yang forces, in cosmic alchemy.
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qng

The color of nature: green, blue, greenish black; young; not ripe A new life emerging from an alchemical crucible . Creation of life involves the merging of yin and yang energies hence the use of . As a component, conveys the sense tender, unblemished, etc., as a newly created life would be.
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Feeling, emotion, sentiment.

qng

An tender heart (, xn) sentiments, emotions. Or, that which is born from the human heart feelings, emotions.

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hu

Return, circle, turn around. : go back; :come "Image of an object (clouds, volutes of the smoke) that turns, that rolls, that revolves; Abstract notion of revolving, of return." -Wieger. A character with very similar meaning is (hu) from movement and .
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From (r, sun) and (yu, moon) bright, clear. Other ancient forms, such as a window(jing, ).

mng

Bright, clear, illuminate. (mngbai): understand.

, show the moon shining through

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jin jin

Room, between, space. Jin: crevice, a space in between. The sun shining through a space between the door leaves . The sense evoked when one sees the sun shining through the doors of space, of an expanse. The character (xin) carried the meaning leisure one spends time observing the moon, by the door , only during ones leisure.
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Younger brother

A stick thats part of a bundle. here shows a thread that ties the bundle together. Part of a group, a family hence, a younger brother. Shuo Wen. An ancient form of the character shows a bundle of leather sheets, with the second sheet marked giving it predominance. A thread that is wound on a spool, having a catch at the top and a winch at the bottom, primitive instrument, reef and bobbin. Wieger. By extension, succession of brothers, elder, younger; succession; younger brothers.
67

Number, order, rank. (dy): first, (d-r): second. The position, the rank, the count , of an object or a person in a group . may as well be a reference to the bamboo strips used in ancient times for keeping written records hence, order, numbering, position, etc.

68


Give birth to, produce, product, manufacture.

chn

From civilized and birth . The products of civilization. shows a factory, the place where the products are brought to life .

69


Vapor, vital energy, spirit, vigor, anger.

The vapours which rise from rice as it cooks, carries its essence, its qi . Symbol shows Curling vapors rising... and forming clouds above, according to Wieger.

70


Tongue. That by which you speak and differentiate flavors. .

sh

From and (gn, stem/trunk), according to the Shuo Wen.

71


Speech, talk, conversation, words, sayings, story From tongue and words speech.

hu

72


Table, a small stool. ( chj, tea table) Picture of a small table.

73


Display, show, external, superficial.

bio

A coat, made of fur on the outside. The old form has (mo) which here symbolizes fur.

74


From, due to, cause.

yu

Here (tin, field) symbolizes interaction of yin and yang energies within a region. shows a sprout, emerging from where the vertical (symbolizing yang) and crosswise (symbolizing yin) lines meet. "It represents the germination of a fruit-stone, or a large grain; represents the grain, on the top of which the germ is coming up; , By extension, beginning, principle, origin, starting point, cause, to produce, etc." -Wieger.
75


It. Snake is now written (sh).

was once the picture of a snake. The character was borrowed as a phonetic loan for the pronoun it. As a mnemonic: How one would refer to a snake - it.

76

qing

is the left side of (m, tree), and shows a piece of wood split in half. It occurs only as a component and indicates a strip, a flat surface, etc.

77

Jing: Shall, indicating future, about to, introducing the object of a verb. A strip of meat kept on a table . About to be taken as meal. Shuo Wen says the character is from and current dictionaries, show wine and meat reduced. on a table . played a , not present in

jing jing qing

phonetic role, according to the Shuo Wen. The character

Jing: A general, a commander-in-chief, whose meal was predominantly wine and meat. Qing : Invite, request. The table laid out with wine and meat - inviting guests for dinner.

78

Change, transform, convert.

hu

The modern form is from() and (hu). A person, a Daoist seated in meditation , transforming himself to an immortal. The most ancient forms depict a person and another upside-down. A person turning-around, changing. To turn around; to change completely.

79

The number five.

"" Ancient Chinese traditions hold that a world emerges from a primordial unity as two opposing yet mutually complementary forces - the yin and the yang. From the interaction of yin and yang emerge five movements of energy, the five elements, which interact to form all matter that exists in that world. symbolizes the Heaven ( yang) and Earth( yin). The character shows the interaction of yin and yang begetting the five elements.
Note: The term for five elements in Chinese is (wxng). Literally five movements. Five patterns of movement of more fundamental energies. The are given the names: metal, wood, water, fire, earth.

80

A piece of wood with a sharp end. A wooden stake. A kind of arrow with a trailing string, used for hunting birds.

81


Represent, take the place of.

di

From and . A stake marks or represents a position.

82


Magnificent, glory, splendor.

hu

The vernal expansion of flowers on a branch. The form(, in seal script writing) here suggests an upward expansion of energy ( see (y)). are the buds evolving to flowers.

83

The number nine.

ji

, according to the Shuo Wen. The number nine is said to symbolize yang energy having reached its peak. The characters form shows a wavy movement of the arm. The wavy movement symbolizes an exhaustion of forces, upon having reached the maximum strength it can expend. The arm symbolizes strength, of yang, masculine, nature. An ancient form of the character shows nine distinct segments: .

Pythagorean philosopher Iamblichus, commenting on the nature of number 9, says: greatest of numbers within the decad an unsurpassable limit. 84

Show, manifest.

sh

, the ancient form of , symbolizes the Heavens. A manifestation from the Heavens. Energy manifesting downward from the Heavens. The three lines show the sun, the moon, and the stars, says the Shuo Wen. Karlgren interprets the symbol as an altar . As a component, is reduced to. Distinguish from , the reduction of (y, clothing), which has one additional stroke.
85


A society, an organized body, agency, society, club.

sh

From and (t, earth). The formation and existence of a society is the result of a heavenly phenomenon manifesting at a place . "Altar to the spirits of the land; sacrifice to the spirits of the land; tutelary deity, village, society -- the religious rites for the land" --Karlgren.
86


To compare, to be comparable to, draw analogy. Name of the hexagram

Two people, facing the same direction, compared side-by-side to draw a parallel between, draw analogy, compare, relatively. "Two ( reversed) men placed together" - Karlgren. (Support), Water over Earth.
87


Inside, interior. Having entered a region within, inside.

ni

88


Stand, to erect, establish, set up.

Picture of a person standing erect on the ground . By extension: to erect, establish, set up.

89

Position, place, location, status, condition . A polite measure word for people. Where a person (, rn) stands (l) his position, as at a court. "Position, place, office; seat, throne; respected person -- a man standing: position (at court)." Karlgren The place where a man is standing erect; the place assigned, according to his dignity, to each official.- Wieger
90

wi


A component, referred to as the . The picture of a wrap, a cover.
91

bo

A bag, wrap, bundle, envelope, surround. A measure word for bundles. A fetus in a womb . By extension: To cover, wrap, surround, encircle, a bundle.

92


Car, vehicle with wheels, a wheeled machine.

ch

As a component, often conveys a sense of momentum, of energy in motion.

93


Army, military, troops.

jn

, according to the Shuo Wen. From and reduced. Picture of a military chariot with men surrounding it. Bronze script forms seem to show (l, strength) distorted to a form similar to . The same form conveys a sense of strength in motion. Alternate explanation: A chariot with reinforcements a military chariot.

94


Make, cause to, send as envoy, employ, use.

sh

A written command given by an officer (l, official) to a person.

95


Have not, did not, have not yet.

wi

A tree with branches and leaves, that has not yet borne fruit.

96

Make, manufacture, create, formulate, restrict, control. (wi) shows a tree with its branches. To cut wood down for manufacturing purposes. In certain ancient forms, such as down are depicted as parallel lines next to the tree. , the logs cut

zh

To trimthe branches of a tree restrict, control. To whittle wood with a knife- make, manufacture, create. A cognate word, now used interchangeably with is: [ The sense applied to (y, clothing). Cut out (as a dress), fashion; prepare, make; invent, compose Karlgren. ].

97

A degree, an extent, to save.

From (gung, house), ( nin, twenty, composed of two tens : ), and (yu, hand). "To have in one's hand (twenty:) all the inhabitants of the house: rule, regulate Karlgren. To measure, a rule, a degree A hand which counts or measures a quantity , according to Wieger. ,according to the Shuo Wen. From and(sh, numerous) reduced (). The character (sh, the ancient forms of which include: ) shows All the inhabitants of a dwelling, gathered around the hearth []; among the ancients, the hearth gave heat and light. By extension, the familial flock, .. the human herd, the people, according to Wieger. When occurring as a component, often coveys the meaning gather together.

98

bng

And, equally, truly, simultaneously, on the same level with. . Two people, of the same height, standing together. A closely related character is (bng, combine/merge). Fromand . A person bringing together, two things . In , conveys the sense compatible, comparable, hence, merge-able.

99


Living, alive, vivid. To have wateron ones tongue to be alive.

hu

Shuo Wen says the component on the right was not (sh, tongue) but a now obsolete character, made of ( jue, root of a plant/ the foundation) , on top of (ku, mouth), with the meaning to-fill-in, to contain.
100


Checkpoint, barrier, a critical juncture, a pass.

gun

Picture of two door leaves tied together a barrier, a checkpoint.

101


Skeleton, framework.

The frame of bones (gu, picture of a skeleton) which supports (ru, flesh).

102

A vase with flowers, used during ceremonies. Occurs as a component. "Sacrificial vessel -- picture of a vase with flowers" -Karlgren.

103


Body, system.

From (g, bone) and (l), a vase with flowers, symbolizing the surface form . The frame and the surface form.

104


Alarm, agitation.

cng

The character ( ,cng) was the picture of a chimney. Underneath is the character for heart . Bronze script forms show a heart with a dark mark on it. An agitated heart not clear.

105


General; sum together; overall

zng

From (s, thread) tie up, summarize. conveys the sense rough, overall, in general, and is also phonetic.

106

Join, combine, be fitting, union, agreement. Things brought together combine. , to within an enclosure

Another interpretation is that indicates harmonious assemblage and symbolizes speech . Etymologically, three mouths speaking together, according to Wieger. "Picture of the lid of an opening -- analogous to ," according to Karlgren.
107


Give

gi

From signifying a connection and suggesting concord, agreement, coming together.

108

Very, extreme, what.

shn shn

Shn: "...Affection (gn, sweet) for the being that makes the pair (sexual)... This affection being very great, says, the Glose, hence the extended meaning, superlative, very, extremely, excessive... " -Wieger. Wieger explains (p, match/pair /male and female) as "Half of a whole. The whole is represented by (s, four). A little more than the half of was kept, so that the character is still recognisable; That which, being joined with its like, forms a pair, a match. See the compound ." Shn: A question particle that seeks (the notion conveyed by and together) something missing what? 109

A person engaged in some field of activity; member; personnel; outer limits of land, space, etc. (dng, cauldron, ) is an ancient three-legged, round cooking vessel. Ancient forms of (yun) show with a circle on top. In this character represents an alchemical vessel and the circle above, the rim of the vessel: the outer limits of a field of activity. Things within the circle are part of, or involved in, a field of activity. Describing , Lindqvist says: "From being a cooking vessel for ordinary people, it became a revered sacrificial vessel and a symbol of the power of the state. The largest ding yet found weighs 226 kilos." The modern form has come to resemble (bi, money) with on top.

yun

110


Body, ones self.

shn

A person with a big belly, seen from the side. Character resembles the human body() , says the Shuo Wen. Both Wieger and Lindqvist opine that the character depicts a pregnant female body.

111


Constant, invariable, ordinary.

chng

From (shng, esteem/value) and (jn, cloth, ). A cloth banner or flag held up by advancing troops constant, invariable. A banner used to head the troops; hence rule, constant way, constantly Wieger The meaning normal, ordinary is sometimes interpreted as the value or a piece of cloth . It seems more likely that the meaning is an extension of the sense constant, always present.
112


Skin, leather, hide, wrapper, surface. A hand flaying the skin off a dead animal.

113


By, cover, quilt.

bi

A cloth (, y) - that by which the skin or a surface is covered.

114


West.

The picture of a bird on a nest()- Shuo Wen. When the sun is in the west, the birds return to their nests ( ) . Differentiate the character from (yu, wine vessel , ) which shows a wine container. will be explained in further detail later on.
115


Lack, be short of, owe, inhale, blow out. "Short of breath...to yawn...to owe..." --Karlgren.

qin

. An abstract representation of mouth qi expanding. The image of a person drawing in or blowing out air. A person gasping for air lacking.

116


Occurrence, time, second, inferior

From and (qin, owe). conveys the sense secondary; , a man gasping for air, the sense lacking. By extension: a succession of occurrences. Not the foremost, not vigorous..()- Shuo Wen.
117


q: Period of time, phase, stage.

q j

The phases of the moon (yu) tell time . (q) is phonetic. The movement of rice, when being processed in a winnowing pan , resembles the rise and fall of tides hence signific of period, phase, the passage of time etc. J : a complete period . (j nin) anniversary, a complete year.
118


Each, every , different, all.

To walk up to a region and pause; to move slowly visiting each of many regions. Or, to speak in clear manner slowly , differentiating things. [] Shuo Wen
119


- Shuo Wen.

Reach, come up to, and, as well as, continue, to extend, attain. A hand reaching up to and taking hold of a person from behind reaching to, reach, to attain.

120


Few, little.

sho

From (xio ,small) and which is phonetic according to the Shuo Wen. , a falling stroke, conveys the sense drop, go missing, be absent.

121

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