Ancient Chinese Dictionary

Author: Editorial Committee of "Dictionary of Ancient Chinese"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Includes over 7,000 phonetic characters and over 8,000 compound words. Starting with the explanation of character origins, it not only clarifies the structure of characters but also reveals their evolutionary process. Definitions follow the order of original meaning first, extended meaning second, and borrowed meaning third, clearly outlining the development of character meanings. Each definition is unmarked by part of speech, enabling readers to better understand and master the meanings and usages of each sense. The textual evidence is mostly the earliest occurrences, primarily drawn from classical texts of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, as well as famous works from the Tang and Song dynasties, ensuring the accuracy and authority of the entire book. Over 800 exquisite illustrations are included, which not only showcase the context of ancient Chinese but also possess aesthetic value and serve to explain the characters and words, achieving a perfect unity of content and form. This is a medium-sized reference book for ancient Chinese compiled specifically for junior and senior high school students and teachers. Its scope of words is based on the new curriculum standards for junior and senior high school Chinese, supplemented by some encyclopedic terms and commonly encountered terms in extracurricular classical texts that require definitions. The dictionary includes 4,500 commonly used ancient Chinese characters, plus traditional characters and variant characters, totaling over 7,000. It also includes over 8,000 commonly used terms. Its main features are as follows:
1. Starting with the explanation of character origins, it not only clarifies the structure of characters but also reveals their evolutionary process.
2. In defining characters, it adheres to the historical development perspective, emphasizing the time-specificity of character meanings, and arranges definitions in the order of original meaning first, extended meaning second, and borrowed meaning third. This approach not only reflects the systematic nature of definitions but also provides readers with complete information, enabling a more comprehensive and thorough understanding of the character.
3. The dictionary also includes classical Chinese vocabulary required by the new curriculum standards for students to master, as well as terms related to traditional culture such as names of objects, historical anecdotes, and institutional systems, all accurately defined.
4. Each character and term definition is marked with part of speech, which not only avoids potential confusion in part-of-speech labeling for polysemic terms but also makes the definitions clearer, helping readers better understand the meanings and usages of the words.
5. The textual evidence cited in the dictionary primarily consists of classical texts from the pre-Qin and Han dynasties and famous works from the Tang and Song dynasties, with special attention to examples from classical texts included in junior and senior high school Chinese textbooks.
6. Over 800 exquisite illustrations are included, which not only showcase the context of ancient Chinese but also possess aesthetic value and serve to explain the characters and words.