Great Wall Benefit Association Jade Chapter

Author: Gu Yewang (Liang)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The Shuowen Jiezi is a dictionary primarily based on small seal script in China. The Yupian is the dictionary that followed it. The compiler, Gu Yewang of the Southern Dynasties of Liang, styled Xifeng. The Yupian was compiled in the ninth year of the Dading era (543 AD) during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang. In the preface, Gu Yewang stated that the purpose of compiling this book was to examine phenomena such as different forms of the six scripts and eight types, identical meanings with different characters, and similar characters with different interpretations. In the first year of the Shangyuan era (674 AD) of the Tang Dynasty, the recluse Sun Qiang revised and added characters. In the sixth year of the Dazhongxiangfu era (1013 AD) of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhenzong ordered Chen Pengnian and others to completely revise it again. Many additional characters were included, named Da Guang Yi Yupian, which is the version of The Yupian in its current form. Da Guang Yi Hui Yupian consists of thirty volumes, collecting over 22,000 characters, and is divided into five hundred forty-two sections, seemingly organized according to the principle of related character meanings. Under each character, the sound is first explained using fanqie, followed by the interpretation of the character's meaning. Some entries also cite textual evidence or directly quote classical glosses for interpretation, and the ancient forms and variant forms of some characters are appended to the explanations. The Yupian is both a character dictionary and a rhyme dictionary, making it an indispensable tool for studying ancient texts. It is now published in a photolithographic edition based on the Zhang Family Zecun Tang edition. For the convenience of readers, an index is specially provided at the end of the book for reference.