Page:Elementary Chinese - San Tzu Ching (1900).djvu/56

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Chi is composed of 鳥 niao bird as radical, with 奚 hsi how? why? as phonetic. It is also written 雞, and is described as the bird which knows the time.

Ch'üan seems to have greatly impressed Confucius. He said it was a perfect picture of the animal, meaning of course the old form.

Shih is another picture, which likewise leaves much to the imagination, although bristles, feet, and tail are said to stand out distinctly.

Tz'ŭ see.

Liu see.

Ch'u is composed of 玄 hsüan black, dark, mysterious, an epithet often applied to 天 t'ien the sky, and 田 t'ien cultivated fields, i.e. the black fields which nourish us. [Cf. Eurip. Bacchæ, μέλαν πέδον the black plain; Homer Il. ῥεε δ'αἵματι γαῖα μέλαινα, etc. In connection with the Greek μέλας, comparison may also be made with the Chinese 青 ch'ing (lines, ), both being applied to the sky, water, etc.] It means to feed, to nourish, to keep as animals; hence, brute beasts.

Jen see.

So see.