You Collection, Upper Volume
Radical: Speech (yán)
16 strokes
Page 1171, Entry 09
Pronounced hui (falling tone).
Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen): To censure.
Guangyun: To avoid.
Yupian: To hide; to consider taboo.
Preface to the Spring and Autumn Annals (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 prescribes taboos for the honored, taboos for the kin, and taboos for the virtuous.
Strategies of the Warring States (Zhanguo Ce): Penalties did not spare the powerful.
Commentary: To taboo means to avoid.
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals of Qin Shi Huang: The customs of Qin included many prohibitions and taboos.
Also means to fear.
Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Lord Shang: Huayang and Jingyang struck decisively without fear.
Zengyun: To hide one's shortcomings is called taboo.
Also, while alive it is called a name, while dead it is called a taboo.
Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan), Sixth Year of Duke Huan: The people of Zhou used taboos when serving the spirits; when a person dies, their name becomes a taboo.
Sub-commentary: Prior to the Shang dynasty, there were no laws regarding taboos; the practice of taboos began with the Zhou dynasty.
Book of Rites (Liji), Tan Gong chapter: After the completion of the crying rites, the name is treated as a taboo.
Sub-commentary: In ancient times, there were no taboos while the person was living; upon the completion of the crying rites, the name of the deceased became a spirit taboo.
Also, "not taboo" refers to death.
Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of Lord Shang: Gongshu was ill, and said, if the unavoidable should happen, what will become of the altars of the state?
Book of the Later Han (Houhan Shu), Biography of Huan Rong: If the unavoidable should happen, do not worry about your family.
Commentary: Death is a common occurrence for humanity, therefore it is referred to as the unavoidable.
Also rhymes with hui (level tone).
Dongfang Shuo, Seven Admonitions (Qi Jian): Wishing to find an opportunity to fulfill my ambition, but fearing to violate taboos and commit an offense. In the end, I suppress my feelings and remain in silence, melancholic and sorrowful by myself.