Xu Collection, Middle Volume
Radical: Short-tailed Bird (zhuī)
Character: Huo
Kangxi stroke count: 18
Page 1368, Entry 30
Pronounced huo. Pronounced huo. The pronunciation is the same as huo (the name of a geometer worm). According to the Explaining and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen Jiezi), it refers to high-quality cinnabar. The character structure uses the component for cinnabar as the radical and the component for capture as the phonetic element. Book of Documents (Shangshu), chapter on The Builders Materials: Only then apply red cinnabar paint. The commentary notes the pronunciation as huo. Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing): At Chicken Mountain, the area beneath the mountain produces much red cinnabar. The commentary by Guo Pu states: Huo refers to red. Wu Renchen states: It is likely a substance similar to red stone lipid. Furthermore, according to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), it is pronounced yue, the pronunciation being the same as yue. The meaning is the same. In the Book of Documents commentary on red cinnabar, it is also noted as being pronounced wang. Furthermore, according to the Collected Rhymes, it is pronounced huo, the pronunciation being the same as huo. It refers to a type of arrowhead material and cinnabar. It is also pronounced hu, the pronunciation being the same as hu. According to the Broad Definitions (Boya), it refers to cinnabar.