Explanation on the Interpretation of the Character Zhen(枕)in Shuowen Jiezi(《说文解字》)
The interpretation of the character zhen(枕)in Er Xu's Shuwen Jiezi(《说文解字》)originally stated wo suo jian shou zhe(卧所薦首者),but Duan Yucai refuted this explanation and revised it to wo suo yi jian shou zhe(卧所(目)薦首者).Yu Pian(《玉篇》)records zhen(枕)as wo tou suo jian ye(卧头所薦也),and Tang Dynasty manuscript reads it as wo tou jian ye(卧头薦也).Nonetheless,scholars such as Zhu Junsheng,Shen Tao,and others hold differing views on the precise meaning of the character"枕".It seems difficult to decide which is right or wrong.Through the investigation of the diachronic substitution of shou(首)and tou(头)and Xu Shen's general exegetical rules,the sorting out of the meaning of wo(卧)and jian(薦),the discrimination of suo(所)and suo yi(所以),and the distribution of such syntactic structures in the text,it is considered that the Tang Dynasty manuscript's"卧 头薦也"should be regarded as the original meaning in Xu Shen's Shuowen Jiezi(《说文解字》).
Tang Dynasty ManuscriptShuowen Jiezi(《说文解字》)Annotations and Textual Research
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