Hai Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Bird (niǎo) Jiu Kangxi strokes: 13 Page 1481, Entry 01 Pronounced jiu (level tone). Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen) defines it as a bird resembling a mountain sparrow but smaller, with a short tail and blue-black color. Qin Jing (Classic of Birds) states that no bird is as clumsy as the dove, for it does not build its own nest. Book of Odes (Shijing), Shao Nan section: The magpie has a nest, but the dove comes to dwell in it. Book of Rites (Liji), Monthly Ordinances (Yueling) section: In the second month of spring, the hawk transforms into a dove. Also, in the Royal Regulations (Wangzhi) section: The dove transforms into a hawk, and only then are nets for catching birds set up. The commentary notes this refers to the second month of autumn. Also, a name for an official post. Zuo Zhuan, 17th Year of Duke Zhao: Tanzi said: The clan of Shao Hao used bird names to designate official posts. The Zhu-jiu clan was the Minister of Instruction (situ). The Ju-jiu clan was the Minister of War (sima). The Shi-jiu clan was the Minister of Works (sikong). The Shuang-jiu clan was the Minister of Crime (sikou). The Hu-jiu clan was the Minister of Affairs (shishi). These five doves were the officials who gathered the people. Yan Can’s Shi Ji (Collected Interpretations of the Book of Odes): The five doves mentioned in the Zuo Zhuan can all be found in the Book of Odes. The Zhu-jiu is the Bo-jiu, referred to as the Zhui bird in the Si Mu and Jia Yu sections. The Ju-jiu is the dove mentioned in the Guan Guan Ju Jiu poem. The Shi-jiu is the cuckoo, mentioned in the Cao Feng section. The Shuang-jiu is the hawk mentioned in the Da Ming section. The Hu-jiu is the Hou-jiu, not the Ming-jiu found in the Ban Jiu or Xiao Wan sections, nor the dove that eats mulberry fruit found in the Meng poem. Also, Meng-jiu is the wren. Xunzi, Exhortation to Learning (Quanxue): In the south, there is a bird called the Meng-jiu. Also, Er Ya, Explaining Words (Shigu): Jiu means to gather. Zhengzitong: The dove is capable of gathering yang energy, hence the meaning of gathering. Book of Documents (Shujing), Canon of Yao (Yaodian): Gonggong was gathering and displaying his merits. Zuo Zhuan, 25th Year of Duke Xiang: Gathering at the marshlands. Also, it means to settle or to pacify. Zuo Zhuan, 8th Year of Duke Yin: The king abandoned his designs on the three states in order to settle their people. Also, 16th Year of Duke Xiang: How could one dare to let the State of Lu be left in unrest? Also, the name of a state. Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing): The Shijiu state is located south of Yuanli in the sea. Also, Shujiu was a vassal state of the State of Chu. See Zuo Zhuan, 24th Year of Duke Xiang. Also, the name of a place. Jiuzi. Zuo Zhuan, 3rd Year of Duke Xiang: Zizhong of the State of Chu attacked the State of Wu and conquered Jiuzi. The commentary notes it was a city of the State of Wu. Also, the name of a mountain. Classic of Mountains and Seas: Two hundred li to the north is called Mount Faji u. Also, a person’s name. Rujiu was a virtuous minister under Tang of Shang. Also, the area below the lower abdomen is called the jiukou. Chao’s Sources of Disease (Chao shi bingyuan): From the diagonal of the heel to the inside of the jiukou. Also, according to Yunhui, pronounced qiu. Same as the character for a type of edible earth fungus. Also, in rhyming, pronounced ju. Daozang Ge (Songs of the Taoist Canon): Sprouting layer upon layer, lush and prominent, the south wind brings the calling dove. Since one has already forgotten the vows of glory and prominence, why not cherish the dwelling place of the immortals? Shuowen Jiezi: Jiu is derived from the bird radical, with jiu as the phonetic element. Qin Jing: A group of nine birds is called a jiu. Some say the character for jiu is derived from the number nine for this reason. Liezi, Tianrui section: One changes into seven, and seven changes into nine. Nine represents the point of exhaustion. Then it changes back into one, which is why it is called jiu, and this is why the character is derived from the number nine. Yu Pian: Sometimes written in a variant form (jiu).