Ancient Chinese Dictionary

Author: Editorial Committee of "Dictionary of Ancient Chinese"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-10-01
Features: This dictionary is primarily aimed at middle school students, including over 5,500 common ancient Chinese characters, plus over 7,000 traditional and variant characters, and over 2,000 compound words. Under each character entry, there is a "Etymology" section that briefly explains the character's structure and reveals its evolutionary process. The definitions not only clarify the original meaning but also explain extended meanings, metaphorical meanings, and borrowed meanings, tracing the development of the character's meaning. Each definition is preceded by a part-of-speech label, helping readers better understand and master the meanings and usage of each definition. The book citations are mostly first appearances, primarily from classics 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 content. Over 600 exquisite illustrations are included to complement the text and explain the characters and words, achieving a perfect unity of content and form. This dictionary is also suitable for middle school teachers, college students, and general readers with intermediate or lower proficiency. It includes over 5,500 common ancient Chinese characters, plus over 7,000 traditional and variant characters, and over 2,000 compound words. Its main features are as follows:
1. Etymology Explanation: Chinese characters are ideographic symbols based on pictographs. Over thousands of years of development, their sounds, forms, and meanings have all undergone varying degrees of change. Therefore, understanding the origin and evolution of Chinese characters is crucial for learning and researching ancient Chinese. In light of this, this dictionary places special emphasis on explaining etymology, with a dedicated "Etymology" section under each character entry that not only briefly explains the character's structure but also reveals its evolutionary process.
2. Systematic Definitions: In defining characters, this dictionary first clearly explains the original meaning, followed by extended meanings, metaphorical meanings, or borrowed meanings. This arrangement reflects the systematic nature of the definitions and provides readers with more comprehensive information, enabling a more thorough understanding of the character.
3. Part-of-Speech Labels: Labeling the part of speech before each definition is another prominent feature of this dictionary. This avoids potential confusion in part-of-speech labeling for characters that belong to multiple categories and also makes the definitions clearer, helping readers better understand the meanings and usage of the characters.
4. Book Citations: The book citations used in this dictionary are mostly first appearances, primarily from classics of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, as well as famous works from the Tang and Song dynasties. This not only ensures reliability but also enhances the authority of the dictionary. For the sake of readability and comprehension, obscure characters and words in the citations are occasionally annotated with pronunciation and definitions.
5. Illustrations and Text: Over 600 exquisite illustrations are included to complement the text and explain the characters and words. This not only helps readers deepen their understanding of the characters and words but also achieves a perfect unity of content and form in the dictionary.