Kangxi Dictionary

Author: [Qing] Zhang Yushu et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-11-01
Features: Preface to Publication / Jin Wenming This dictionary was commissioned by the Qing Emperor Kangxi (Yongzheng) in the 49th year of his reign (1710) and was compiled under the leadership of Zhang Yushu and Chen Tingjing. It underwent six revisions over the years and was finally completed in the 55th year of Kangxi's reign (1716). Initially named "Zidian," it was named so to reflect the comprehensive nature of the dictionary, which included the form, sound, meaning, and proof of characters, deemed "excellent and complete, suitable to be regarded as a classic that cannot be changed" (from the Preface to the Kangxi Dictionary). Due to its compilation during the Kangxi era, it came to be known as the "Kangxi Dictionary" thereafter.
Before this, two widely circulated dictionaries had been published during the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty: one was Mei Yingzuo's "Zihui" (compiled in 1615, containing 33,179 characters), and the other was Zhang Zilie's "Zhengzitu" (compiled in 1671, containing 33,549 characters). Both were organized by radical. The creation of radicals began with Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi" during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Due to the use of small seal script for indexing, the forms of characters varied greatly, and the division and combination were often inappropriate (e.g., radicals like and only listed one character, while radicals like and only included two characters). As a result, the entire dictionary of 9,353 characters was divided into 540 radicals. Later, the "Yupian" by Liang Yuanwang, indexed by regular script characters, slightly increased the number to 542 radicals, while Jin Hanzhao's "Sisheng Pianhai" reduced them to 444 radicals. Both made it difficult for readers to distinguish radicals and search for characters. By the time of Mei Yingzuo's "Zihui," a bold innovation was made, introducing 214 radicals, which were considered more rational and convenient for searching than previous methods. The slightly later "Zhengzitu" also adopted the 214 radicals, identical to "Zihui." These two highly influential dictionaries laid the foundation for the compilation of the "Kangxi Dictionary" in terms of the scale of characters, radical division, and organization. Compared to "Zihui" and "Zhengzitu," the "Kangxi Dictionary" both inherited and developed. In terms of radicals and organization, it followed Mei Yingzuo's 214 radicals but used the twelve Earthly Branches to label them, dividing them into twelve collections, each further divided into three volumes (upper, middle, and lower). Both radicals and characters within each radical were arranged in order of stroke count, with minor adjustments to the assignment of some characters. In terms of content, it primarily "added what was missing in Zihui and removed the redundancies in Zhengzitu," aiming to achieve "a balance between detail and brevity, making it perfectly appropriate" (Imperial edict of the third day of the third month in the 49th year of Kangxi's reign). The entire dictionary contains 47,035 characters (81 characters were redundantly listed under two different radicals, so the actual number is 46,954), more than 10,000 characters than "Zihui" and "Zhengzitu." While it did not include all regular script characters, it can be said that the vast majority of characters that appeared in the existing classics of the Four Divisions (Confucian classics, history, philosophy, and literature) had been included. The rich textual evidence it provides and its ability to help people solve difficulties in understanding the sound and meaning of characters surpasses any previous linguistic reference tool.
Each entry in the "Kangxi Dictionary" generally includes the following four parts:
(1) Character Form: The main form is listed first. If the character has ancient forms, they are all included below the main form.
(2) Pronunciation: It extensively collects the apophones from important rhyme books from the Tang to Ming dynasties, such as "Tangyun," "Guangyun," "Jiyun," "Yinhui," and "Zhengyun," arranged in chronological order. If the apophones are the same, they are grouped together; if different, they are listed separately with annotations on pronunciation. This is convenient for scholars studying ancient pronunciation while also catering to the needs of ordinary people in recognizing character sounds.
(3) Definition: The primary meaning is noted first, followed by variant meanings. Derivations and homophones are marked with "you," making the boundaries between different pronunciations and meanings clear. The primary meanings are generally based on "Shuowen," but if the "Shuowen" definition is incorrect or unclear, a correct one is listed first.
(4) Citations: Each meaning is generally supported by textual examples. Some may have one example, while others may have several. The cited texts are annotated with titles and generally arranged in chronological order.
In addition to the main text, the dictionary includes various appendices. Those before the main text are:
(1) General Index: A directory of all radicals in the dictionary, arranged by stroke count. Some variant radicals (e.g., for , for , for ) are also included for easy reference.
(2) Radical Search: A table for searching difficult radicals, arranged by stroke count.
(3) Similar Characters: Comparisons and distinctions between characters with similar strokes but different pronunciations and meanings.
(4) Basic Rules of Apophones and Tonal Rhyme Diagrams: A summary of apophone rules and tonal rhyme diagrams.
Those after the main text are:
(1) Supplementary Entries: Characters with sound but no meaning, or those with no sound or meaning that could not be verified at the time.
(2) Addenda: Characters with sound and meaning that could have been included in the main text but were not.
After its completion in the 55th year of Kangxi's reign, the dictionary was published by the Wuying Hall Press and is known as the "Palace Edition." Due to the loss of many volumes and the need to complete it quickly, as well as its compilation by multiple hands, there were numerous omissions and errors in pronunciation, definitions, and citations. In the seventh year of the Daoguang reign (1827), the renowned scholar Wang Yinji and others were ordered to carefully collate the original edition of the "Kangxi Dictionary," identifying 2,588 errors in citations. They compiled the "Dictionary Examinations" in 12 volumes in the eleventh year of the Daoguang reign (1831) and reprinted the "Kangxi Dictionary." Later, Japanese scholar Tsubouchi Takehiko wrote "Examinations and Corrections of the Kangxi Dictionary," and Professor Wang Li of Peking University wrote "Corrections of the Kangxi Dictionary's Pronunciations," both proposing numerous corrections to the citations and pronunciations of the dictionary.
The "Kangxi Dictionary" has many editions. During the Qing Dynasty, in addition to the original palace edition and the Daoguang corrected reprint, many private reprints appeared, such as Dianshi Zhai, Hongbaozhai, Tongwen Shuju, and Shanghai Ancient Book Circulation Office, all publishing the "Kangxi Dictionary." These private editions were mostly based on the original palace edition and did not include Wang Yinji's "Dictionary Examinations," making it difficult for readers to identify and correct errors in the original citations. In 1935, the Commercial Press published a copperplate photolithographic edition. The fact that it avoided the name "Xuanye" but not those of emperors from Yongzheng to Daoguang suggests that its source was also based on the original palace edition. However, the Commercial Press edition included Wang Yinji's "Dictionary Examinations" and added a newly compiled four-digit code index at the end, greatly benefiting readers. As a result, this edition was reprinted five times in just one and a half years, demonstrating its significant influence among the public and scholars at the time.
Shanghai Literature and Art Press reprinted the "Kangxi Dictionary" this time, using the Commercial Press edition as the base for readers' use.
The "Kangxi Dictionary," compiled in the early Qing Dynasty, is one of the largest official dictionaries preserved in China today. For a long time, it has had a broad and profound impact on the reading, organization of ancient texts, and the study of textual research. Even today, it remains an essential reference work for scholars in literature and history.