Wei Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Old (lǎo) Kangxi Strokes: 12 Page 961, Entry 10 Pronounced die. Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen) states: A person aged eighty is called die. Erya, Explanation of Words (Erya Shiyan) states: Die means old. Commentary (Shu) states: Die is like iron, meaning the face of an old person is the color of iron. Whether die refers to seventy or eighty is not explicitly defined in the original text. Book of Changes (Yijing), Li Hexagram: Then the sighing of the great elder. Explanation of Texts (Shiwen) states: Ma says: A person aged seventy is called die. Book of Odes (Shijing), Odes of Qin: Those who have passed away, their elder. Commentary (Zhuan) states: Die means old. A person aged eighty is called die. Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan), ninth year of Duke Xi: To use the eldest maternal uncle. Annotation (Zhu) states: A person aged seventy is called die. Also, per Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), pronounced tie. The meaning is the same. Classified Chapters (Leipian) also records the variant form (die).