You Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Speech (yán) Kangxi Strokes: 23 Page 1186, Entry 01 Pronounced chou. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): To respond. Yupian (Jade Chapters): To counter. Zhengzitong (True Character Guide): To speak and respond to one another. Book of Odes (Shijing), Great Odes (Daya): There is no speech that is not responded to. Mao Commentary: To employ. Correct Meaning (Zhengyi): To speak in response is called chou. Chou is to interact using speech, therefore it is used to mean to employ. Zhu Commentary: To answer. Erya (Approaching Elegance), Explanation of Ancient Terms: A peer. Guo Commentary: Chou is similar to chou (companion). Guangya (Extended Elegance): To mean a class or group. Xing Sub-commentary: To mean a companion or a peer of the same class. Book of Documents (Shangshu), Announcement of Shao (Zhaogao): I, a petty official, dare to represent the king's peerless people and the many noblemen. Kong Commentary: A peer; it means the people are below, and from above they are paired with them. Also means equal. History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), Biography of Huo Guang: All were rewarded as peers for their achievements. Shigu Commentary: It means their merits were of equal class. Also means to correspond or match. History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), Biography of Guan Fu: The Emperor ordered the censor to strictly question the words of Ying, and Guan Fu did not correspond at all. Jin Zhuo Commentary: Chou means to match. Also, according to True Rhymes (Zhengyun), to sell or to repay. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals of Gaozu: Whenever Gaozu went to drink wine, the sales were multiplied several times. Ru Chun Commentary: Chou is also to sell. Records of the Three Kingdoms (Weizhi), Biography of Wei Zhen: If his son permits purchasing items, follow the market price to pay the value. Also, according to Dictionary Supplement (Zihuibu), to be fulfilled or verified. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Treatises on the Suburban Sacrifices (Fengshan Shu): Most of those methods were not fulfilled. Suoyin Commentary: To correspond is called chou. It refers to speech not corresponding, meaning no verification. Also, according to Rhyme Collection (Yunhui), an enemy. In terms of writing, two birds (chou) make chou (to respond/enemy). Chou refers to a pair of birds. When there is resentment between people, if one does not regard ritual and righteousness, it is like the behavior of birds and animals; two parties get angry and harsh words pass between them, overflowing with evil, like the calls of birds. Book of Documents (Shangshu), Count of Wei (Weizi): To be mutually enemies. Commentary: To be at odds. Book of Odes (Shijing), Odes of Bei (Beifeng): Instead you treat me as an enemy. Sub-commentary: An enemy is a term for the deepest resentment. Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan), Third Year of Duke Xiang: Mentioning Xie Hu as his enemy. Sub-commentary: An enemy is a term for people holding mutual grudges. Also, according to Character Dictionary (Zihui), to repay. Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), Earth Officers, The Mediator (Tiaoren), Zheng Commentary: It is difficult to act as an enemy with one another. Sub-commentary: Referring to the Zuo Commentary, Duke Huan: A resentment pair is called chou, so chou is resentment. Chou also refers to repaying. Also, according to Rhyme Collection (Yunhui), to check or verify. It means two texts compared against each other like enemies. Zuo Si, Rhapsody on the Wei Capital (Weidu Fu): Checking and verifying the seal and clerical scripts. Commentary: One person holds the original text, the other reads it, like two enemies facing each other. Also, according to Yangzi's Dialects (Fangyan): A synonym for to rely on. In Qin and Jin, it is called chou. Also a surname. History of the Former Han (Qianhan Shu), Biography of Confucian Scholars: Chou Qian of Pei. Also interchanged with chou (to toast). Strategies of the Warring States (Zhanguo Ce): To group them for toasting. Commentary: The same as to toast and respond to toasts. Also sometimes written as chou (dense/numerous). Book of Documents (Shangshu), Count of Wei (Weizi): To govern and collect. Commentary: The horse manuscript version writes it as chou, meaning a number; to collect refers to collecting taxes. Also, according to Rhyme Collection (Yunhui) and True Rhymes (Zhengyun), pronounced chou (departing tone). Also means to repay. Book of Odes (Shijing), Great Odes (Daya): There is no speech that is not responded to. (It has both level and departing tone pronunciations.) Also, according to Dictionary Supplement (Zihuibu), it is also written as chou (variant form).