Page:Elementary Chinese - San Tzu Ching (1900).djvu/21

Shan was originally composed of 羊 yang sheep (line 77) and 言 yen words (line 118) doubled. The latter portion has been corrupted, and the character is now classed under radical 口 k'ou mouth (line 263). It is noteworthy that sheep enters into several characters referring to excellence, duty, property, etc. See line 14.

3.	性	相	近	${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}}$	Their natures are much the same;
	Hsing4	hsiang1	chin4
	Nature	mutual	near

Hsing see line 2.

Hsiang is composed of 目 mu eye (line 262) as radical and 木 mu tree (line 66), and originally meant to peer, to scrutinise. It is explained in the Canon of Changes (line 135) as inability to see through trees, hence to look at; which may be compared with the derivation of lucus a non lucendo. In this sense it is now read hsiang⁴. Read hsiang¹, it means mutual, reciprocal; but it is often a complementary particle of very elusive value, signifying direction towards anybody or anything.

Chin is composed of 斤 chin an axe-head, a Chinese pound weight (= 1⅓ lb. av., probably adopted from the weight of the axe-head) as phonetic, and the contraction of an obsolete word 辵 cho (辶 in composition) meaning to go on and stop as radical. The latter is commonly seen in characters dealing with movement, and is popularly known as the walking radical.

4.	習	相	遠	${\displaystyle \scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\\\ \\\ \ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}}$	their habits become widely different.
	Hsi2	hsiang1	yüan3
	Practice	mutual	far

Hsi is composed of 羽 yü feathers as radical and 白 pai white, and seems to have been associated with young birds practising flight.

Hsiang see line 3.

Yüan is composed of the walking radical and a common phonetic.