This is the first dictionary in China that works with sounds instead with classifiers or meanings. It was compiled by Liu Xi 劉熙 or Liu Zhen 劉珍 at the beginning of the 2nd century AD. The author tries to trace back the meaning of a word/character to a word that is similarly pronounced. He goes so far as to group together even words that have a similar meaning and tries to show that a similar sound eventually leads to a similar meaning, even if the characters are written totally different. This was a common method of Han Dynasty philosphers and commentors. A few examples: "emperor" 帝 (di), exactly pronounced like "careful, attentive" 諦 (di). Other examples are the words for "righteousness, humanity" 仁 and man 人, both pronounced ren, or "friendship" 誼 and "proper, right" 宜, both pronounced yi.	Chapters of the Shiming 1.釋天 Tian 2.釋地 Di 3.釋山 Shan 4.釋水 Shui 5.釋丘 Qiu 6.釋道 Dao 7.釋州國 Zhouguo 8.釋形體 Xingti 9.釋姿容 Zirong 10.釋長幼 Changyou 11.釋親屬 Xinshu 12.釋言語 Yanyu 13.釋飲食 Yinshi 14.釋綵帛 Caibo 15.釋首飾 Shoushi 16.釋衣服 Yifu 17.釋宮室 Gongshi 18.釋床帳 Chuangzhang 19.釋書契 Shuqi 21.釋典藝 Dianyi 22.釋用器 Yongqi 23.釋樂器 Yueqi 24.釋兵 Bing 25.釋車 Che 26.釋疾病 Jibing 27.釋喪制 Sangzhi
	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. Translated by Ulrich Theobald.