Page:Elementary Chinese - San Tzu Ching (1900).djvu/105

 mouth, and is the name of a dynasty which lasted from B.C. 1766—1122.

Yu see.

T'ang is composed of 水 shui water as radical, with a common phonetic (lines, ), and originally meant hot water. It here stands for the first Emperor of the Shang dynasty, who reigned B.C. 1766—1753 and is popularly known as 成湯 ch'êng tang T'ang the Completer.

Chou see.

Wên see.

Wu is composed of 止 chih to stop, as radical, and 戈 ko spear, weapons; stoppage of hostilities being the ultimate object of war. This etymology is dated back in the Tso Chuan to B.C. 595.

Ch'êng see.

San see.

Wang is composed of three horizontals which stand for heaven, earth, and man in the middle, the line for man being nearer to heaven than to earth, in token of his divine obligations. These are united by a vertical line which typifies the influence of the sovereign. The character was originally a radical, but is now classed under 玉 yü jade. Read = to rule. [The two in, King Wên and King Wu, who were father and son, count only as one. For although King Wu was the first