Si Collection, Lower Volume
Radical: Dog (quǎn)
16 Kangxi strokes
Page 718, Entry 09
Pronounced bì
According to Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it means to fall down or collapse. Composed of the radical for dog and a phonetic component indicating weariness. The text references the Spring and Autumn Annals (Chunqiu Zhuan), noting that the dog collapsed. Note that in the current version of the Zuo Commentary (Zuo Zhuan), Year 4 of Duke Xi, this is written as the character pronounced bi.
According to the Erya (Erya), a section on trees, a tree falls down by itself. The commentary states that this character means to stumble or fall.
Also, according to the Expanded Rhymes (Guangyun), it means to be exhausted or bad.
Also, pronounced bié. It means to fall over. Sometimes written in a variant form (bì).
Also, pronounced miè. The meaning is the same.
According to Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), a variant form uses the radical for death.
Textual Research: According to the Erya, a section on trees, it originally read as the spirit radical. It has been corrected to the tree radical based on the original text.