SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE DICTIONARY

⦿used for or graphically interchangeable with the following (may be followed by more than one other graph)
see entry for character that follows; usually indicating same graph but listed under different main pronunciation, sometimes indicates synonymy or near-synonymy of different graph
>leads logically to, meaning extends or expands to
<derived from (usu. to indicate derivation from a foreign word)
abb.abbreviation, abbreviated
ADVadverb(ial)
alt.alternative(ly)
ant.antonym
approx. approximately
Arab.Arabic
bn.binome, 2-syllable word
Budd.Buddhist
c.century
ca.circa, about
cf.compare with
cmpd.compound
cog.cognate
Dao.Daoist, primarily medieval religious Daoist
e.g.exempli gratia, for example
equiv. equivalent to
esp.especially
euph.euphemism
gen.in general, general(ly)
Gk.Greek
GPgrammatical particle
i.e.id est, that is
incl.including
interr .interrogative
Iran.Iranian
Jpns.Japanese
lit.literature
MCMiddle Chinese
med.medieval
mod.modern
N.B.nota bene, take special note of
OBJobject
OCOld Chinese
onom .onomatopoeic
opp.opposite, opposed to
Pers.Persian
prob.probably
rdup.reduplicated
ref.reference, refers to
sgl.singly or singular
Skt.Sanskrit
Sog.Sogdian
SUBJsubject
syn.synonym(ous)
Tib.Tibetan
trns.translation
trsc.transcription
Turk.Turkic
usu.usually
VBverb, verbal
Viet.Vietnamese

ORGANIZATION OF THE PRINT EDITION

Entries are arranged in alphabetical sequence, according to each graph’s Pinyin romanization. Graphs with identical pronunciation are placed in order of their signific’s (bushou 部首, or “radical”) sequence in the standard list of 214 significs established in the Kangxi Dictionary 康熙字典.

Graphs with two or more pronunciations are listed under each of them but are given their main entry under one designated pronunciation, cross-referenced to by all of the others.

Within the body of an entry, if reference is made to a different graph which is followed by one pronunciation and then a second in parenthesis, this means the particular meaning in question carries the first pronunciation but this is a secondary pronunciation to be found under the main entry whose pronunciation is the one in parenthesis.


Citation
“ ” Brill’s Chinese Reference Library. Brill Online, 2024. Reference. . 29 Mar 2024 < >