Jade Chapter - Gyokuhen

A Chinese dictionary. Compiled by Gu Ye Wang (519-581). 30 volumes. Completed in 543 (the 9th year of the Datong period during the Southern Liang Dynasty). It divides over 16,900 characters into 542 radicals, and uses and meanings of the characters are explained in detail with annotations from ancient dictionary and examples from classic texts and their annotations. While Shuowen Jiezi explains the original meaning of the characters in relation to their shapes, this book focuses on explaining the meaning of the characters in actual usage. While the radicals are largely based on Shuowen Jiezi, the arrangement of the radicals emphasizes the connection of meanings to make searching easier. Although this is a realistic and excellent dictionary, it was lost in China, and only a portion of the ancient manuscripts were brought to Japan, where it is highly valued. Various revised versions were later produced, but the only one that remains in China is the "Da Guang Yi Hui Gyoku Pian" (1013), compiled by imperial order by Chen Pengnian and others of the Northern Song Dynasty, which added more characters but greatly simplified the annotations.

[Hisao Hirayama]

"Study of the Yupen by Okai Shingo (1933/Reprinted in 1969, Toyo Bunko)" ▽ "Chinese Dictionary by Ogawa Tamaki (included in The World of Japanese 3: Chinese Kanji, 1981, Chuokoron-Shinsha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国の字書。顧野王(こやおう)（519―581）撰(せん)。30巻。543年（南朝梁(りょう)の大同9）成書。1万6900余字を542の部首に分け、古字書の注解、古典での用例とその注釈等を引用して文字の意味、用法を詳しく示す。『説文解字(せつもんかいじ)』が字形と関連させて字の本義を説くのに対し、本書は実際の用法における字義の解説に重点を置く。部首も『説文解字』にほぼ拠(よ)りながら、部首の配列には意味のつながりを重視して検索の便を図った。このように現実的な優れた字書であったが、中国では散逸し、日本に一部分の古写本が伝わり、貴重視される。のち種々改訂本がつくられたが、中国に現存するものは、北宋(ほくそう)の陳彭年(ちんほうねん)らが勅命により撰した『大広益会玉篇』（1013）で、収録字を増したかわり、注解は大幅に簡略化された。

［平山久雄］

『岡井慎吾著『玉篇の研究』（1933／再版・1969・東洋文庫）』▽『小川環樹著「中国の字書」（『日本語の世界3　中国の漢字』所収・1981・中央公論社）』

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