Shengxun

Template:Short description Template:Italic title In classical Chinese philology, shengxun (Template:Zhi) or yinxun (Template:Zhi) is a practice found in Chinese dictionaries where characters are explained by use of a homophone or near-homophone.Template:Sfnp The practice is ancient, and is present in texts predating the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). The ancient Shiming (c. Template:Trim) dictionary is notable for using shengxun for most of its definitions, and the highly influential Shuowen Jiezi compiled by Xu Shen c. Template:Trim also employs the technique. For example, Xu's explanation of the word Template:Zhl is: Template:Interlinear

The words for 'ghost' and 'return' are near-homophones both in Xu's reading and in modern Standard Chinese. A similar explanation of the word can be found in the earlier Erya (c. Template:Trim). Shengxun can be highly fanciful, and often results in folk etymology. Put another way, the practice points to a notion of Template:Zhl, or what Bernhard Karlgren called "word families".

See also

• Rebus