Shuowen Jiezi (with character lookup)

Author: Xu Shen (Han Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-02-01
Features: This book is the first systematic analysis of Chinese character forms and etymology in China, as well as the most widely used essential reference work for Chinese learners. Shuowen Jiezi summarizes the achievements of literature from the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, preserving the form, sound, and meaning of Chinese characters. It is an indispensable bridge for studying oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions, ancient phonology, and textual interpretation. Especially, Shuowen’s explanations of character meanings generally retain their ancient connotations, providing greater help in understanding the vocabulary of ancient texts. It preserves materials for studying ancient social history, culture, and other aspects, serving as an important step in organizing China’s excellent cultural heritage. Shuowen includes explanations of characters with various meanings, reflecting ancient politics, economy, culture, customs, and more. For example, in Shuowen, "" (chariot) is described as "the general name for a vehicle with wheels, invented by Xi Zhong during the Xia Dynasty." Based on Shuowen’s explanation, it can be confirmed that the chariot existed as a mode of transportation during the Xia Dynasty. Another example is the character "" (surname), which derives from "" (woman) and includes surnames like "" (Jiang), "" (Qi), and "" (Yao), revealing traces of ancient matriarchal society. Thus, Shuowen reflects some historical conditions and various knowledge of ancient times, helping us understand the past and the present. There are countless versions of Shuowen Jiezi throughout history. This book is based on the Chen Changzhi carving edition, utilizing both transmitted and unearthed documents while adhering to the principle of "preserving authenticity and reliability while ensuring convenience and practicality." Under each small seal character, representative forms reflecting the evolution of the character from oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions, bamboo and silk texts, coin inscriptions, stone inscriptions, and other materials are arranged, with modern pronunciation marked using Pinyin. This facilitates comparative research for users. Additionally, it includes a radical stroke index and a phonetic index for easy reference and use.