Tsien. — The well-known Chinese copper coin, with a square hole in the middle for stringing, is thus named. According to quality of metal it takes from 900 to 1,800 tsien to make one silver dollar.
Tsing-jin. — "Men of Tsing." From very ancient times the Chinese have been wont to call themselves by the names of their famous dynasties, — Han-jin, "the men of Han"; Thang-jin, "the men of Thang," etc. Ta Tsing Kwoh ("Great Pure Kingdom") is the name given by the present dynasty to China, — according to which the people might call themselves Tsing-jin, or "men of Tsing." Williams, however, remarks that they will not yet accept the appellation.
Verses (Chinese). — The verses preceding "The Legend of Tchi-Niu" afford some remarkable examples of Chinese onomatopœia. They occur in the sixth strophe of Miên-miên, which is the third chant of the first section of Ta-ya, the Third Book of the Chi-King.(See G. Pauthier's French version.) Dr. Legge translates the strophe thus:—
. . . Crowds brought the earth in baskets; they threw it with shouts into the frames; they beat it with responsive blows; they pared the walls repeatedly till they sounded strong. — Sacred Books of the East; Vol. III., The She-King, p. 384.
