Abstract Robert Morrison published the world’s first English-Chinese dictionary, English and Chinese (1822), as the last part of his Dictionary of the Chinese Language in Three Parts (1815–1823). By tracing the multiple sources of Morrison’s English and Chinese , including its entry selection, definitions, and examples, this article discusses the process of preparing the first English-Chinese dictionary based on the materials that he could access, which enables us to understand Morrison’s lexicographic views and the early history of Sinology in Britain.
The Duke of Zhou's Zither Dance (Zhou gong zhi qin wu (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)), a Warring States manuscript held by Tsinghua University, records and contextualizes a series of hymns, attributing their "making" or "presentation" (zuo f') to the Duke of Zhou and King Cheng. The Zither Dance exemplifies a previously unrecognized structural class of manuscript texts, and its lyrics resemble a group of hymns from which Fu Sinian (1896-1950) reconstructed a "Dance of Royal Succession." Both Fu's reconstruction and the Zither Dance contain variants of "Be Warned of It" (Jing zhi (sic)(sic), Mao. no. 288), a hymn traditionally associated with King Cheng's succession, but the manuscript's verses are otherwise entirely unattested. Although previous studies have concluded that roughly half the text is missing, this paper will argue that the manuscript is not only complete, but polyvocal. This polyvocality, moreover, is the key to its interpretation, numerological structure, and ritual/illocutionary effect.
In this article, we offer an in-depth contextualization of the construction of frontier walls, trenches, and forts under the Shizong and Zhangzong emperors of the Jurchen Jin dynasty, supplementing historical sources with up-to-date archaeological findings. We argue that, rather than through a narrow military history approach, the agendas behind these construction projects can only be understood in a wider framework of frontier-related Jin institutions and practices that include the Jurchen relationship with steppe nomads, border market trade, garrison farming, and seasonal hunting. Not just fortification-building but all of these practices were subject to Jin court debates around purpose and effectiveness. We also argue that the concrete interests behind projects changed with shifting historical scenarios, suggesting a chronological framework that unifies both our historical and archaeological investigations.
This article examines olfactory othering in medieval China, focusing on the association between Inner Asian frontier peoples and the smell of mutton. This motif, which gained prominence from the mid-eighth century, became an enduring theme in literature, political rhetoric, and historiography. More than a simple reflection of dietary difference, these olfactory associations were grounded in cultural frameworks linking scent to identity, danger, and contamination. Drawing on sources from Du Fu's poetry to anecdotal tales, the article explores how smell, viewed as invasive and trans-formative, served to delineate power hierarchies and negotiate cultural identities. By examining the case of olfactory othering, this article aims to demonstrate how sensory experiences contributed to shaping social imaginaries and revealing the underlying structures that informed perceptions of the period.
In Indian Buddhist monastic practice, monks traditionally ate with their hands as a ritual observance. To adapt to Chinese customs and social norms, Chinese Buddhist monastics upheld the principle of "Vinaya Adapted to Local Customs" (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) and pragmatically adopted spoons for consuming rice and chopsticks for selecting food from other dishes, which subsequently became an established monastic regulation. By the Tang dynasty, Chinese Buddhist monks had established a codified ritual protocol for dining with spoons and chopsticks. Song-Yuan Chan monastic codes documented the concurrent use of both utensils in the "Ritual for Attendance at Meals" (sic)(sic)(sic)>. After the Ming dynasty, as secular dining habits shifted towards exclusive chopsticks usage for handling both rice and dishes, commensurate changes occurred in Chinese Buddhist dietary etiquette, leading to the disappearance of spoons from monastic dining tables. The contemporary Chinese Buddhist practice of using two separate bowls for rice and other dishes, along with exclusive chopsticks usage for eating, was institutionalized during the Ming period. The evolution of spoons and chopsticks implementation exemplifies the Sinicization of monastic dietary practices, demonstrating how Chinese Buddhist food culture became profoundly influenced by Chinese secular society.
At the very beginning of the Han dynasty, Zou Yao (c. 250-after 192RCE), dispossessed of his kingdom upon the unification of China in 221RCE, was restored to power as the King of Dong'ou .At some point after his death, he came to be worshipped as a local deity in the city of Wenzhou, in Zhejiang province, presumed to be the site of his capital city. This article examines what is known of late imperial worship for this obscure god, and how officials serving in this region and local literati responded to his complicated legacy. In late imperial literature, the king of Dong'ou was associated with the concept of "loyalty" (thong s ), which meant grappling with (or avoiding) the topic of Dong'ou's relationship with the politically and culturally dominant Han empire, as well as their king's place in the Chinese world.
This paper argues that all six of Wang Bi’s 王弼 (226–249) extant works are rhymed commentaries structured by systematic rhymes. This formal characteristic suggests that both Laozi zhu 老子注 (Commentary on Laozi ) and Zhouyi zhu 周易注 (Commentary on the Changes of Zhou ) were originally designed as non-interlinear commentaries. The paper proposes a phonological reading of Wang Bi, with implications for: a) formal analysis of philosophical discourse, b) third-century commentarial culture, c) textual criticism, syntactic parsing, interpretation, and authorship, and d) historical linguistics. It argues that rhymes align with other formal features, such as parallel styles and meters, fundamentally contributing to Wang Bi’s construction of meaning. The case demonstrates the interdisciplinary potential of philology in the study of languages, texts, and ideas.
Les inscriptions oraculaires des treizième et douzième siècles avant notre ère révèlent que Yi Yin, que la tradition lettrée dépeignit ultérieurement comme le ministre de Cheng Tang, fut l’un des principaux esprits tutélaires vénérés par les Shang. Nous dressons ici le portrait de la figure de Yi Yin durant la phase finale de la dynastie, à partir d’un ensemble constitué de 245 pièces oraculaires qui le mentionnent. Après avoir identifié la quinzaine d’appellations que Yi Yin pouvait alors porter, nous retraçons les étapes majeures de l’évolution de son culte, du temps du roi Wu Ding jusqu’aux règnes de Wu Yi et Wen Ding, soit entre le milieu du treizième siècle et la fin du douzième siècle avant notre ère. Enfin, nous discutons les diverses hypothèses susceptibles d’éclairer la place éminente accordée à Yi Yin, puis montrons que son intégration au sein du panthéon visait certainement à renforcer le prestige de la lignée royale.
This article examines two rare sources on fish farming in pre-modern China: a text fragment entitled Taozhu gong Yang yujing (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) (Lord Taozhu's Classic on Fish Farming) preserved in Jia Sixie's(sic)(sic)(sic)(fl. 6th cent CE) Qiminyaoshu(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(Essen- tial Techniques for the Peasantry), and a treatise similarly entitled Yang yu jing(sic)(sic)(sic) (Classic on Fish Farming) by Ming scholar Huang Xingzeng (sic)(sic)(sic) (1490-1540). The essay explores the history of managed aquaculture leading up to the compilation of these texts, analyses their sources and contents, and presents annotated translations.
The thirteenth and twelfth centuries BCE oracle-bone inscriptions reveal that Yi Yin, later depicted by the literate tradition as the minister of Cheng Tang, was one of the main tutelary spirits venerated by the Shang. In this article, we provide a portrait of Yi Yin during the final phase of the dynasty, on the basis of 245 oracle-bone inscriptions which mention him. After identifying the fifteen or so different names that Yi Yin was then likely to bear, the major stages in the evolution of his cult are retraced, from the time of King Wu Ding to the reigns of Wu Yi and Wen Ding, i.e., between the mid-thirteenth and the late twelfth centuries BCE. Finally, we consider the various hypotheses which may shed light on the prominent place granted to Yi Yin, and show that his inclusion in the pantheon was certainly intended to enhance the prestige of the royal lineage.
This article explores the Song dynasty ming inscriptions on the qin , a seven-stringed zither revered in Chinese cultural tradition, to examine how literati inscribed cultural values, personal identity, and aesthetic ideals onto this musical instrument. Rooted in epigraphic traditions, ming inscriptions historically served as commemorative and moralizing texts etched onto various materials. In the Northern Song, the practice flourished among the literati, who extended it to objects of refined taste including the qin. The qin served not merely as a musical instrument, but also as a symbol of classicism, moral cultivation, and friendship, embodying ideals of music as a harmonizing force among individuals, society, and the cosmos. By analyzing extant qin and anthologized inscriptions, this study investigates how the qin's materiality and symbolism shaped the ming compositions, and conversely, how the genre of ming influenced the perception and value of the qin. Special attention is given to the writings of Zhu Xi and Huang Tingjian, whose inscriptions elevate the qin to a music relic of high antiquity and a symbol of literati identity. Through this lens, the article interrogates the reciprocal relationship between writing, music, and objecthood in literati culture, positioning the qin as an artifact and an active participant in Song intellectual and aesthetic discourse.
This paper argues that all six of Wang Bi's (226-249) extant works are rhymed commentaries structured by systematic rhymes. This formal characteristic suggests that both Laozi zhu T>(Commentary on Laozi) and Zhouyi zhu 1b7 ,> (Commentary on the Changes of Zhou) were originally designed as non-interlinear commentaries. The paper proposes a phonological reading of Wang Bi, with implications for: a) formal analysis of philosophical discourse, b) third-century commentarial culture, c) textual criticism, syntactic parsing, interpretation, and authorship, and d) historical linguistics. It argues that rhymes align with other formal features, such as parallel styles and meters, fundamentally contributing to Wang Bi's construction of meaning. The case demonstrates the interdisciplinary potential of philology in the study of languages, texts, and ideas.
The Ming conquest of Yunnan marked the dynasty's entrance into upper mainland Southeast Asia, a region that had since the mid-fourteenth century come under the influence of the Tai confederation of Mang Maaw (Luchuan J f F). Ming officials soon found themselves in competition with Mang Maaw for control beyond the Mekong, a region the Ming had little capacity to govern directly. This article argues that the expansion of Ming imperial authority beyond the Mekong was made possible only through the cooperation of Tai elites previously subject to Mang Maaw. These figures became the first generation of Ming "native officials" in southwestern Yunnan, working to undermine their former overlord while assisting the Ming with its Southeast Asian campaigns. In exchange, these former Maaw vassals called on Ming assistance to preserve and expand their own rule, making demands on the dynasty and reshaping the interstate environment of upper mainland Southeast Asia.
In 760, against the backdrop of rebellion, the poet and intellectual Yuan Jie (sic)(sic) (719-772) compiled his Collection from the Poem Box (Qiezhong ji (sic)(sic)(sic)), one of only three surviving contemporary anthologies of High Tang poetry. Qiezhong ji is a small collection of just twenty-four poems from only seven poets, almost all of whom were quite obscure even in their own time. This seems to have been the point: both Yuan's poetry selections and his preface show that his goal for the anthology was to champion a familiar moral stance, that of the unappreciated Confucian, rather than to make a clear statement of poetics. This paper presents a complete English translation of Qiezhong ji, and suggests that while the small scope of the anthology makes it difficult to interpret as describing a popular alternative strain of eighth-century poetics, Qiezhong ji does offer a crucial supplement to our picture of the High Tang moment, a bold entry into a burgeoning argument over the ownership of literary values.
