You Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Speech (yán) 諱 Kangxi strokes: 16 Page 1171, Entry 01 Pronounced hui. Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen) defines it as to denounce or reproach. Guangyun defines it as to avoid. Yupian defines it as to conceal or to shun. Spring and Autumn Annals Preface (Chunqiu Xu): To hide or avoid due to fear of calamity. Gongyang Commentary (Gongyang Zhuan), First Year of Duke Min: The Spring and Autumn Annals uses avoidance for the honorable, for one's parents, and for the virtuous. Strategies of the Warring States (Zhanguo Ce): Punishments do not avoid the powerful. Commentary: To avoid is to stay away from. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals of Qin Shi Huang: The customs of Qin included many prohibitions and taboos. It also means to fear. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of Shang Yang: Huayang, Jingyang, and others struck decisively without fear. Zengyun: To hide one's shortcomings is called avoiding (hui). Also, while alive one has a name; upon death, one has an avoided name (posthumous name). Zuo Commentary (Zuo Zhuan), Sixth Year of Duke Huan: The people of Zhou used avoided names when serving spirits; when a person dies, their name is henceforth avoided. Commentary: From the Yin dynasty backwards, there were no laws regarding avoided names; the practice began with the Zhou. Book of Rites (Liji), Tan Gong: After the weeping rite ends, one uses the avoided name. Commentary: In ancient times, the living did not avoid names; only after the weeping rite ended did one use the spirit name. It also refers to not avoiding, meaning death. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of Shang Yang: When Gongshu was ill, he said, if you face that which cannot be avoided, what will become of the state? History of the Later Han (Houhan Shu), Biography of Huan Rong: If I face that which cannot be avoided, do not worry about my family. Commentary: Death is a common human experience, thus it is referred to as not avoiding. Also rhymes with the pronunciation hui. Dongfang Shuo, Seven Admonitions (Qi Jian): Wishing to seize a moment to express my intent, I fear offending taboos and violating avoidances. In the end, I suppress my emotions in silence, feeling melancholy and sorrowful by myself.