originally meant division to the uttermost limit, from which it is possible to obtain a glimmering of the modern sense of necessity.
Yu see line 14.
Ch'u see line 1.
113. | 小 | 學 | 終 | The Little Learning finished, | |
Hsiao3 | hsüeh2 | chung1 | |||
Small | learn | end |
Hsiao is said to be composed of 八 pa to divide (line 88), with a vertical line in the middle representing unity (line 30); hence,
minute.
Hsüeh see line 11.
Chung is composed of 系 ssŭ silk as radical and 冬 tung winter (lines 58, 178) as phonetic. It was originally written without the radical silk; in other words, tung winter, the end of the year, was made to do duty for chung end. The latter character, as it stands, is explained in the Shuo Wên as 絿絲, and the point is further obscured by the definition of 絿 in the same work, namely = 急 chi flurried, wrongly rendered "remiss" by Dr. Legge in his translation of the Odes, p. 641. [The Little Learning is the name of an elementary treatise compiled by the famous classical commentator 朱熙 Chu Hsi, A.D. 1130—1200 (line 127). Eitel has here the "Filial Piety Classic" (line 131) instead of the Little Learning, as given in the best editions. The latter title is now in general use among foreigners, though the Chinese really means "Learning for the Young."]
114. | 至 | 四 | 書 | they proceed to the Four Books. | |
Chih4 | ssŭ4 | shu1 | |||
Reach | four | book |
Chih see line 94.