Dictionary of Common Characters in Ancient Chinese (4th Edition)

Author: Wang Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features:
This dictionary features:
· Compiled by over ten experts and scholars in linguistics, including renowned figures like Wang Li, Cen Qixiang, Lin Tao, Dai Li, Tang Zuofan, and Jiang Shaoyu, it serves as a reference tool for learning ancient Chinese.
· Based on the 3rd edition, it has been supplemented and revised. It includes approximately 10,000 common characters and disyllabic words in ancient Chinese.
· Definitions are authoritative, pronunciations are accurate, and example sentences are well-chosen. Difficult sentences are accompanied by annotations and explanations.
· Dedicated sections for "Notes" and "Distinguishing" provide hints and analyses for challenging characters and words.
· Appendices include the "Chronological Table of Dynasties in Chinese History," "Introduction to Ancient Chinese Grammar," and "How to Learn Ancient Chinese," among others, for reference.
This dictionary is compiled by renowned linguists Wang Li, Cen Linxiang, Lin Tao, Dai Li, Tang Zuofan, Jiang Shaoyu, and over ten other expert scholars, serving as a reference tool for learning ancient Chinese. It primarily includes common characters in ancient Chinese, supplemented by rare characters and disyllabic words, totaling nearly 10,000 entries. Definitions are authoritative, pronunciations are accurate, and example sentences are well-chosen. Difficult sentences are accompanied by annotations and explanations. The dictionary features dedicated sections for "Notes" and "Distinguishing," providing hints and analyses for challenging characters and words.
This dictionary includes over 4,200 common characters in ancient Chinese (excluding variant forms). Characters with meanings identical to modern Chinese and widely used in contemporary language, rare characters and meanings rarely appearing in ancient texts, characters and meanings that emerged only in archaic colloquial language or modern Chinese, as well as meanings unique to poetry, songs, and quatrains are generally excluded. A small number of disyllabic words are included, totaling approximately 2,500.
The dictionary has two appendices: the "Table of Difficult Characters" and the "Chronological Table of Dynasties in Chinese History." The "Table of Difficult Characters" includes over 2,500 characters, featuring only phonetic annotations and definitions without examples, serving as a supplement to the main text. The characters in the "Table of Difficult Characters" are uniformly listed in the index along with those in the main text.