Xu Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Tanned Leather (wéi) Kangxi Strokes: 17 Page 1394, Entry 06 Pronounced han. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to a well frame. The character is formed by the radical for tanned leather, indicating surrounding, and the phonetic element gan. Also refers to a state name. According to the Commentary on the Book of Odes (Shijing): Great Odes (Daya) - Han Yi, Han was a vassal state of the Ji surname, which was later annexed by the state of Jin, leading the Han grandmasters to adopt their former state name as their fief name. The Zuo Tradition (Zuo Zhuan) - Year 3 of Duke Huan records that Han Wan drove a war chariot. According to the Rhyme Compendium (Yunhui), the son of Duke Huan of Quwo was named Wan, who was enfeoffed at Han; the Han family later partitioned the state of Jin and established the state of Han. Also refers to the Three Han, a confederacy of three tribal alliances on the ancient Korean peninsula: Chenhan, Bianhan, and Mahan. This is recorded in the Book of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu) - Records of the Eastern Barbarians (Dongyi Zhuan). According to the Broad Rhymes (Guangyun), it is also a surname. The Rhyme Compendium (Yunhui) notes that after the state of Qin destroyed the state of Han, its descendants adopted the name of their former state as a surname. Also, the rhyming sound (ye) is pronounced qian, sounding like yan. In the Praise of Bai Qi by Sun Chu: With divine strategy and brilliant planning, his military prowess was like a spirit, and his momentum like a rainbow; in one stroke, he defeated the powerful southern state of Chu, crushed the state of Wei, and annihilated the state of Han. The original character in the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi) is written in a variant form. The Collected Rhymes (Jiyun) also records the variant forms gan and gan. Editorial Note: Regarding the Three Han, the state names refer to Chenhan, Bianhan, and Mahan. This is found in the Book of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu) - Records of the Eastern Barbarians (Dongyi Zhuan). The record in the Annals of Emperor Guangwu does not contain this information. I have corrected the text to reflect Bianhan and the Records of the Eastern Barbarians.