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8 Sources Used and Terminology in This Book
8.1 Sources Used
The early and pre-modern dictionaries introduced were referred to as noted above
(Section 5), extensively so in the case of Shuowen jiezi and Kangxi zidian. Extensive
use was made also of work by Japanese and Chinese scholars, particularly the
former. Just a few will be singled out for mention here. For OBI and bronze forms,
Mizukami’s Kōkotsu kinbun jiten was particularly helpful, as it makes use of primary
material from the Chinese Academy of Sciences such as that contained in
Jiaguwen bian (Collected Oracle Bone Characters; J.: Kōkotsubun hen), and
Jinwen bian (Collected Bronze Characters; J.: Kinbun hen) (one of several editions).
For clerical script, Sano’s Mokkan jiten was invaluable. For word-families in Chinese,
Tōdō’s Kanji gogen jiten was an important source. Among works by Chinese scholars,
Qiu’s Wenzixue gaiyao (referred to in its English translation: Chinese Writing)
provided many insights, and Gu’s Hanzi yuanliu zidian (Dictionary of Origin and
Development of Chinese Characters) was helpful for many relatively obscure characters
and its analyses. In English, the work by Schuessler entitled ABC Etymological
Dictionary of Old Chinese often provided a useful perspective from the viewpoint of
reconstructed linguistic forms. Works such as the above have been noted as references
to individual entries where they were used; in addition, Satō’s Kanji hyakka
daijiten was of considerable general use overall.
8.2 Terminology in This Book (arranged alphabetically)
Character and graph are used only for stylistic variation, and without any significant
difference of meaning. They refer to the symbols known in Japanese as
kanji and in Chinese as 汉 hanzi.
CO Chinese-only characters: see under NJK.
Complex graph/character refers to a character which can be analyzed into two or
more meaningful elements, e.g. can be divided into ‘enclose, surround’ (determinative
31) and 56 ‘big’, as opposed to , which cannot be broken down into
smaller elements each of which has meaning.
Compound graph/character: see Complex graph/character.
‘Determinative’ refers to a recurrent element (character shape), usually meaningful,
and typically within the set of 214 such elements first set out in the Zihui dictionary
published in China in 1615. Determinatives can occur as independent characters
(there are one or two exceptions such as ‘plants, vegetation’, which occurs only in
Introduction 23