Si Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Splinter (piàn) 牘 Kangxi Stroke Count: 19 Page 694, Entry 32 Pronounced dú. Explaining the characters (Shuowen Jiezi): A writing board. Master Zhuang (Zhuangzi): The knowledge of a petty man does not depart from bribing with gifts and bamboo writing tablets. Strategies of the Warring States (Zhan Guo Ce): Took a brush and a writing tablet to receive it. Commentary: A writing tablet, a board for writing. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji): Tiying sent a letter on a one-foot tablet. History of the Former Han (Qian Han Shu): Holding a tablet, hurried to seek an audience. Commentary: Shigu said: A tablet is a wooden slip. Also a musical instrument. Rites of Zhou (Zhouli): The Master of Sheng music plays the chongdu, ying, and ya to teach the gai music. Commentary: The chongdu, ying, and ya are used to teach the striking rhythm. This refers to striking the ground. Sub-commentary: The chongdu is made of bamboo, five or six inches in diameter and seven feet long; shorter ones are one or two feet long. Both ends have two holes and are painted. Use both hands to strike the ground. The chongdu, ying, and ya teach the striking rhythm, which is played when guests are drunk and departing, as part of the gai-xia music. These three instruments are used to strike the ground to set the rhythm. Explanation of Names (Shiming): Chong means to strike. Du means to ram. It is used to strike the earth to maintain rhythm. Compendium of Rhymes (Yunhui): Master Mao says: The definition in the Explaining the Characters (Shuowen Jiezi) uses the radical for splinter (pian) and the phonetic component mai. It should be written as mai. Using the net (si) radical is incorrect.