Supplement to the Collection of Characters (Zihui Bu) states this character is the same as the character for desolate (huang). According to the Collected Rhymes (Jiyun), it is pronounced liu. It is the same as the character for hanging fringe (liu). This refers to the dangling ornaments that flutter on a banner. The Expanded Erya (Guangya) records: The banner of the Son of Heaven has twelve tassels that hang to the ground; those of the feudal lords have nine, hanging to the bottom of the carriage box; those of the grandmasters have seven, hanging to the center of the carriage axle; and those of the scholar-officials have five, hanging to their shoulders. Sometimes also written in variant forms (liu) or (you).