Page:Elementary Chinese - San Tzu Ching (1900).djvu/127

 Ch'u is composed of 余 yü I, myself, as phonetic, with 阜 as radical. It originally meant the steps to a hall, and then to take away, to subtract, as in modern Chinese.

Sui see.

Luan is composed of 乙 i a cyclical character, said to have once meant to govern, as radical, with a phonetic which also meant to govern. It seems to have originally signified to put confusion in order, but now means sedition, rebellion, etc.

Ch'uang is now composed of 刀 tao knife as radical, with 倉 ts'ang a granary as phonetic. It appears to have been a form of 刅 and meant to wound, to cut into, in which sense it is read. The later reading to begin, to lay the foundations of, etc., has probably been developed from the idea of cutting into.

Kuo see. [Eitel deals with this line in evident ignorance of the fact that kuo is often used in the sense of family, line; e.g. 無子國除 wu tzŭ kuo ch'u having no son his house came to an end. He translates by "And created the modern Chinese empire's foundation." Père Zottoli too errs, but not so glaringly, with "jecit regni fundamenta."]

Chi is composed of 其 as phonetic, with 土 t'u earth as radical, and means the beginning of a wall.