Appendix Hai Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Tooth (chǐ) Chu Kangxi strokes: 20 Page 1576, Entry 01 Supplement to the Collection of Characters (Zihui bu): One act in a musical drama or play is called one chu, which in common folk parlance is mispronounced as chi. Some say it was originally the character for ruminating, which was incorrectly written as chu, because the character for ruminating refers to food that is spat back out to be chewed again after having been swallowed for a long time. Current musical dramas and plays have plotlines that progress and then fold back upon themselves, hence the meaning of ruminating was borrowed.