Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Chinese Word Meanings Comparison

Author: Wang Dehui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: This dictionary includes common ancient and modern homonymous words, with 1,235 monosyllabic entries and 1,200 disyllabic entries, totaling 2,435 entries. The book arranges monosyllabic and disyllabic words separately, and the entries within monosyllabic and disyllabic words are arranged according to the Hanyu Pinyin scheme. For easy reference, an alphabetical index is provided at the beginning of the main text, and a radical index is appended at the end. Each entry is annotated with modern pronunciation using the Hanyu Pinyin scheme. Ancient or modern words with different pronunciations due to different meanings are additionally marked within the corresponding meanings. Each entry is annotated with three categories: ancient meaning, modern meaning, and general meaning. The ancient meaning refers to meanings used in ancient times but no longer used today; the modern meaning refers to new meanings used only in modern times and not in ancient times; and the general meaning refers to meanings that have been used both in ancient and modern times. Some entries do not have modern meanings because the word does not have new meanings, and the modern meaning is a continuation of the ancient meaning. The general meaning includes all modern meanings. Regardless of ancient meaning, modern meaning, or general meaning, the common meanings are prioritized, and obscure meanings are not included. After the explanation of each meaning, there is an example sentence. Example sentences from ancient books are marked with their sources. Familiar ancient works omit the author's name and only indicate the book and chapter names. Example sentences for commonly encountered and easy-to-understand modern words are not provided. For more difficult-to-understand example sentences from ancient books, brief explanations are generally added in parentheses after the sentences. At the end of the main text, appendices such as the "Common Ancient and Modern Characters Table," "Common Homophonic Characters," "Traditional and Simplified Characters Comparison Table," and the "Ancient Monosyllabic Words Corresponding to Modern Disyllabic Words Table" are provided for reference.