Four-Body Great Dictionary (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: China Bookstore
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2007-01-01
Features: A Great Dictionary of Four Styles, edited and published by Shanghai Shaoye Shanfang in 1926. The chief editor was Chen Heshiang, with three assistants named Lou, Wu, and Wei. The entire book is arranged according to the radicals and word order in the Kangxi Dictionary. Each character is listed in the order of Regular (True, Regular Script), Cursive, Clerical, and Seal scripts, showcasing the various types of characters collected. For example, the character "" first appears in its common form, followed by its pronunciation, meaning, and other variant meanings. Below that are the collected and imitated character styles from various stele and rubbing collections, arranged in the order of Regular, Cursive, Clerical, and Seal scripts. Each character is annotated with its publication details. Starting from recognizable Regular script characters, the book gradually progresses to ancient forms. The preface includes an introduction, preface, radical index, and difficult character index. The history of Chinese character transmission is very long. What is known for certain is that from the Shang Dynasty, there were abundant inscribed or carved characters on oracle bones. Through long historical evolution, various scripts such as Seal, Clerical, Cursive, and Regular emerged, each with several types of distinct styles. Later readers often found it difficult to recognize this rich variety of "variant characters," at least not easily mastering them comprehensively. Although this Great Dictionary of Four Styles may not be precise or exhaustive, it is relatively convenient for general understanding and application of various scripts. The book was originally published in two versions—small and large—both of which have long been out of print. To facilitate reference and consultation, the large version is now reprinted in facsimile.