Page:Elementary Chinese - San Tzu Ching (1900).djvu/141



Pi see.

Wu was originally composed of 亡 wang to perish as radical, with 橆 wu abundant (now a synonym of 無) as phonetic. It is the negation of 有 yu, and is classed under radical 火 huo fire, as seen in combination at the bottom of a character.

Shu see.

Ch'ieh see.

Chih see.

Mien is composed of 力 li strength as radical, and 免 mien to avoid as phonetic. It originally meant strong, stiff, hard, etc.

T'ou is composed of 頁 yeh head, leaf, as radical, and 豆 tou a sacrificial vessel, beans, as phonetic.

Hsüan is composed of 心 hsin heart as radical, and 縣 hsien, which was the original form of this character but is now reserved for the sense of magistracy, magistrate, as phonetic, the radical heart being a late addition, to prevent confusion.

Liang see. [This line refers to 孫敬 Sun Ching, a scholar of the 2nd cent. A.D. He thus prevented himself from nodding over his books.]