Wei Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Feather (yǔ) 翦 Kangxi stroke count: 15 Page 958, Entry 11 Classical citations: Broad Rhymes (Guangyun): Pronounced jian (falling tone). Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), Rhyme Compilation (Yunhui), and Orthodox Rhymes (Zhengyun): Pronounced jian (falling tone). The pronunciation is the same as jian (falling tone). Explanation of Characters (Shuo Wen): The appearance of feathers when they first grow. Approaching Elegance (Erya): Explaining Words: Jian means neat and tidy. Commentary: People in the south refer to scissors as ji. Jade Chapters (Yupian): To restrain; to cut neatly. Broad Rhymes (Guangyun): To kill or destroy. Book of Odes (Shijing): Do not prune, do not destroy. Commentary: Jian means to remove. Rites of Zhou (Zhouli): Office of Autumn, Notes on the Official of Jian: Jian is a term for severing or destroying. Zuo Tradition (Zuo Zhuan): In the twelfth year of Duke Xuan: To reduce and distribute them to the feudal lords. Commentary: Jian means to reduce or diminish. Also, in the second year of Duke Cheng: I shall first thoroughly destroy these enemies before eating breakfast. Commentary: Jian means thorough. Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial (Yili): Using coarse cloth dyed a light black. Commentary: Jian means light. Sub-commentary: This refers to dyeing cloth a light black color. Master Zhuang (Zhuangzi): In the chapter On Letting Be and Exercising Forbearance (Zaiyou): The minds of sycophants are shallow and narrow. Sound and Meaning: Skilled at clever speech. Another interpretation is the appearance of sycophancy. Li Yun says it means short and shallow. Manual of Seeking Office (Ganlu Zishu): The common variant is written as jian (falling tone). Also, Collected Rhymes (Jiyun): Pronounced jian (falling tone). The pronunciation is the same as jian (falling tone). The character jian (falling tone) is sometimes written as jian (falling tone).