Page:Elementary Chinese - San Tzu Ching (1900).djvu/40

22 issuing from a man's head, hence to yawn. Tz'ŭ is explained as not in the front rank or of the best kind.

Chien is composed of 目 mu eye as radical, and 人 jen man. It originally meant to look at, and has come to signify sense perception of any kind.

Wên is composed of 門 mên the two leaves of a door and 耳 êrh ear, and means to hear, to smell. Seeing and hearing stand for the acquisition of knowledge in general.

Chih see.

Mou is composed of 木 mu wood as radical, and 甘 kan sweet. It originally meant sour plums, explained exactly as lucus a non lucendo. An old dictionary says, "Things of which the names are not known are mou." The term 某人 mou jen a certain man, is used in reading as a substitute for the personal names of Confucius and Mencius, which may not be uttered.

Shu is composed of 攴 p'u to tap (in composition 夊, see chiao ) as radical, with an important phonetic. It originally meant to count, probably based upon tapping, in which sense it is now read.

Shih is composed of 言 yen words and an important phonetic. It answers more to connaître than to savoir.

Mou see.

Wên originally meant cross lines, any markings or veins, streaks on a tiger, etc.; hence the written character, in which sense it