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The Shiming 釋名 "Explaining terms" is a glossary dictionary compiled at the end of the Later Han period 後漢 (25-220) by Kong Xi 孔熙. With the Confucian concept of retifying names and terms (zhengming 正名) he tried to write a dictionary providing the correct designation of all items humans deal with. His dictionary is therefore arranged in an encyclopedical manner, beginning with Heaven and geography, proceeding to human relationships and language, and ending with various objects of all spheres of human activity. The 27 chapters are arranged in 8 juan "scrolls". For each character entry he does not even provide an explanation but first a kind of memorizing help through a homophonous word which at the same times helps explaining the lexeme word. The whole dictionary is structured according to this concept. This method is called shengxun 聲訓 or yinxun 音訓 "explanation through sound". Although this method today seems to be simply a memorizing help during the Han period, when cosmological speculations were a common philosophical field, the homophonous similarities had also a semantic significance.
The Shiming is not only an important source for the treasury of words of Han period everyday language, but also for the study of ancient Chinese phonology.
There is a surviving Ming period 明 (1368-1644) reprint of a Song period 宋 (960-1279) printing, which contains a lot of errors. The Qing period 清 (1644-1911) scholar Bi Wan 畢沅 wrote a text-critical commentary, the Shiming shuzheng 釋名疏證, in which he rectifies these errors. An additional work has been written by Wang Xianqian 王先謙, the Shiming shuzheng bu 釋名疏證補.
Source: Ye Xiangling 葉祥苓 (1988). "Shiming 釋名", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Yuyan wenzi 語言文字, p. 77. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
The Guang shiming 廣釋名 "Extended Shiming" is a glossary dictionary from the Qing period 清 (1644-1911). It was written by Zhang Jinwu 張金吾 as a supplement to the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE)
glossary Shiming 釋名. The 2 juan "scrolls" long Guang shiming was completed in 1814. Zhang collected words and terms from the Han period not included in the Shiming and composed a supplement, arranged in the same way and constructed with the same method as the Shiming. The dictionary is divided into encyclopedic fields of nature and human acitivites. For each character, a homophonous word is given which, in a unitary cosmological sense, serves as an explanation of the lexeme.
The Guang shiming is included in the collectaneum Zhibuzuzhai congshu 知不足齋叢書.
Source: Zhou Zumo 周祖謨 (1988). "Guang shiming 廣釋名", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Yuyan wenzi 語言文字, p. 115. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
| Contents of the Shiming |
1.釋天 Tian Heaven
2.釋地 Di Earth
3.釋山 Shan Mountains
4.釋水 Shui Rivers
5.釋丘 Qiu Hills
6.釋道 Dao Regions
7.釋州國 Zhouguo Provinces
8.釋形體 Xingti The human body
9.釋姿容 Zirong Females
10.釋長幼 Changyou Age and infanticy
11.釋親屬 Xinshu Kinship
12.釋言語 Yanyu Language
13.釋飲食 Yinshi Drinking and food
14.釋綵帛 Caibo Material and textiles
15.釋首飾 Shoushi Head adornments
16.釋衣服 Yifu Clothing
17.釋宮室 Gongshi Palaces and buildings
18.釋床帳 Chuangzhang Beds and covers
19.釋書契 Shuqi Books and writing
21.釋典藝 Dianyi Canons and classics
22.釋用器 Yongqi Utensils
23.釋樂器 Yueqi Musical instruments
24.釋兵 Bing Military
25.釋車 Che Carts
26.釋疾病 Jibing Diseases
27.釋喪制 Sangzhi Funeral
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Exemplarious translation:
天，豫，司，袞，冀，以舌腹言之。天，顯也，在上高顯也。
The words tian (Heaven), yu (pleased), si (charged), gun (robe), and ji (hoping) are spoken with the back of the tongue. Heaven tian, is manifest xian, eminent in the utmost height.
青，徐以舌頭言之。天，壇也，坦然高而遠也。
The words qing (bluegreen) and xu (calm) are spoken with the tip of the tongue. Heaven tian, is an altar tan, peacefully high and wide.
日，實也。光明盛實也。月，闕也。滿則闕也。
Sun ri, is ripe and solid shi. It is clear brightness and prosperous ripeness. Moon yue, is deficiency que. Its fullness is a measure for lacking.
光，晃也。晃晃然也。亦言廣也，所照廣遠也。
Brightness guang, is dazzling huang. It is glaring and dazzling. You can also say, it is broad guang, because it radiates broad and wide.
陰，蔭也。氣在內，奧蔭也。陽，揚也。氣在外，發揚也。
Darkness yin, is sprout yin. As long as the vital energy is inside, the sprouts are in the innermost part (of the kernel). Sunlight yang, is spreading yang. The breath is outside of it, spreading around.
寒，扞也。扞格也。暑，煮也。熱如煮物也。
Coldness han, is resisting han. It is obstructing measures. Heat shu, is cooking zhu. It is hot as if you were cooking things.
日ńit，實źit也，光明盛實也。
月ŋyat，缺khuet也，滿則缺也。
光kuaŋ，晃γuaŋ也，晃晃然也。亦言廣也，所照廣遠也。
景kĭaŋ，境kĭaŋ也，明所照處有境限也。
晷kwi，規kye也，如規畫也。
曜jau，耀jau也，光明照耀也。
星seŋ，散san也，列位布散也。
宿siu，宿siuk也，星各止宿其處也。
氣khĭəs，（餼）〔愾〕khəs也，（餼）〔愾〕然有聲而無形也。(Shiming 1)
霜ṣaŋ，喪saŋ也。其氣慘毒，物皆喪也。 „Frost“ ist „Begräbnis“, denn sein Qi ist schädlich, so dass alles begraben wird.
露la，慮lia也，覆慮物也。 „Tau“ heißt „denken“, denn er bedeckt die Dinge überall.
雪syat,綏sui也。水下遇寒氣而凝，綏綏然也。 „Schnee“ ist „ruhig“, denn wenn das Wasser beim Fall die kalte Luft trifft, gefriert es – alles wird ruhig.
霰sen，星seŋ也，水雪相摶如星而散也。 „Graupel“ heißt „Stern“, denn Wasser und Schnee ballen sich wie Sterne zusammen und verteilen sich. (Shiming 1)
昏huən，損suən也，陽精損滅也。 „Abenddämmerung“ heißt „vermindern“, denn die Reinheit des Yang schwindet dahin.
晨dźin，伸śin也，旦而日光復伸見也。 „Morgendämmerung“ heißt „sich strecken“, denn beim Sonnenaufgang wird der Sonnenglanz wieder überall sichtbar.
祲tsim，侵tshim也，赤黑之氣相侵也。 „Unglückverheißende Halo“ heißt „erobern“, denn rotes und schwarzes Qi attackieren einander. (ebd.)
汁tśip，涕thei也，涕涕而出也。 „Saft“ heißt „Träne“, denn er tränt heraus.
津tsin，進tsin也，汁進出也。 „Speichel“ heißt „vorrücken“, denn er tropft hervor.
汋tśak，澤ḍak也，有潤澤也。 „Blasen“ heißt „Glanz“, denn sie glänzen rundum.
汗gan，{氵+旱=涆}*gan也。出在於表，{氵+旱}{氵+旱}然也。 “Schweiß“ heißt „Fluss“, denn er tritt auf der Oberfläche aus und strömt herab. (Shiming 2)
私si，恤 suit也，所恤念也。 „Selbst“ heißt „sorgen“, denn es ist das, wofür man Sorge trägt.
勇joŋ，踴joŋ也。遇敵踴躍，欲擊之也。 „Tapfer“ heißt „springen“, denn wenn man den Feind trifft, springt man vor Spannung, ihn anzugreifen.
怯*khia，脅hiap也，見敵恐脅也。 „Feige“ heißt „in die Seite schubsen“, denn im Angesicht des Feindes fürchtet man, bedrängt zu werden. (modern qiè/xié)
斷tuan，段tuan也，分為異段也。 „Teilen“ heißt „abtrennen“, denn man trennt in verschiedene Teile. (Shiming 4)
Translated by Ulrich Theobald.
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Chinese literature according to the four-category system
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