Yin Collection, Middle Volume. Radical: Cloth (jīn). Kangxi stroke count: 11. Page 333, Entry 06.
Pronounced dai (falling tone).
Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): A sash. Men use a sash for binding; women use a silk sash. It represents the shape of something used to hang a pendant. A pendant must have a cloth attachment, therefore the character for sash is derived from the cloth radical. Xu Xuan states: The component indicates the place where the sash is connected and secured at the top.
Shiming (Explication of Names): A sash is like a stem. It is attached to clothing like the stem of a fruit.
Book of Changes (Yijing), Hexagram Song: Or bestow upon him a leather belt. The commentary states: A leather belt is a large sash.
Book of Rites (Liji), Jade Pattern: All sashes are to be hemmed, without decorative needlework. The commentary states: This means the sash is single-layered and the edges are secured by needle and thread, but only with coarse, simple folding, without any elaborate decorative sewing.
Yangzi Fangyan (Regional Speech): A dangling end is called a sash. The annotation notes: In the Little Erya, the hanging part of a sash is called a pendant.
Book of Odes (Shijing), Lesser Odes: Hanging sash as a pendant.
Also means to wear. Book of Rites (Liji), Monthly Ordinances: Worn with a bow.
Yangzi Fangyan: To walk. The annotation notes: To follow someone walking.
Also the name of an insect. Zhuangzi, Discourse on Making All Things Equal: The mantis finds the worm sweet.
Also the name of a plant, the book-sash grass. Sanchi Ji (Record of the Three Qi): Grass grows beneath the mountain of Zheng Kangcheng, large as a reed, with leaves over a foot long. The local people call it Kangcheng book-sash grass.
Also a surname. Jia Yi, Faults of Qin: Daituo.
Also pronounced di (falling tone) to rhyme. Chu Ci (Songs of Chu), Nine Songs: Lotus garments and orchid sashes, appearing suddenly and vanishing quickly. Spending the evening in the Emperor’s dwelling, who waits for me at the edge of the clouds.
Textual research: In the Book of Changes, Hexagram Song: Or bestow upon him a leather belt. The commentary states: A leather belt is a large sash. According to the original text, the character for leather has been corrected to sash. In the Chu Ci, Nine Songs: Lotus garments and orchid sashes, appearing suddenly and vanishing quickly. According to the original text, the characters have been revised.