Chou Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Big (dà) Kangxi strokes: 13 Page 253, Entry 15 Pronounced ao (falling tone). The southwest corner of an interior room, which is the place where a person rests. Book of Rites (Liji), Songs of Refinement: A son should not occupy the southwest corner (the seat of honor) during his daily rest. Record of Rites (Liyun): Human emotion is like a field, and therefore a person is like the center (of the field). Also, one of the Five Sacrifices. Rao Shuangfeng states: For the Five Sacrifices, the primary officiant's seat is established first; sacrificing at the location (of the spirit tablet) indicates closeness. Afterward, the person representing the spirit is welcomed and sacrificed to in the southwest corner, which indicates reverence. Also, an official title. Records of the Eastern Han (Dongguan Hanji): During the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, the position of Secretariat Monitor was established for the first time, intended to manage deep and confidential matters. Also, accumulation. Discourses of the States (Zhouyu): There is no dense wild grass in the wilderness. Also, cooking and seasoning. Xunzi, Broad Outline: Rice washing water is harmful; it is better to cook and season (with condiments). Also, the name of a mountain. Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing): Three hundred li to the east of Chouyang Mountain is Ao Mountain, where the Ao River originates. Also pronounced cuan (falling tone). Refers to the Kitchen God. Book of Rites (Liji), Record of Rites: The Ao sacrifice is the sacrifice of the old woman. Commentary: Ao should be written as cuan; the sacrifice is performed after the person representing the spirit has finished eating, as a sacrifice to the Kitchen God. That deity is the original provider of cooked food, hence the title old woman. Also pronounced yu (entering tone). Refers to a curved place by the water. The inner side of a bend in a water flow is called ao. Interchangeable with the characters ao and ao. Also synonymous with yu (warm). Book of Odes (Shijing), Lesser Odes: The weather is quite warm. History of the Former Han (Qianhan), Treatise on the Five Elements: That punishment frequently results in (abnormal) warmth. The character structure is derived from the roof radical and the pick radical. Commonly written as the variant form ao, which is incorrect. Orthography Manual (Zhengzitong): The Lexicon (Zihui) places this under the radical for joined hands (gong), with the pronunciation and definitions repeated; these are now all collected here. Explaining Simple and Compounding Characters (Shuowen Jiezi): The character ao is derived from the roof radical with a phonetic element. The character shen is composed of the roof radical and the pick radical. Neither the combination of the roof radical and the pick radical, nor the combination of the generic radical and the pick radical, correctly forms the character.