Yin Collection, Upper Volume
Radical: Child (zǐ)
Kangxi stroke count: 19
Page 281, Entry 05
Pronounced nie (falling tone).
Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Graphs and Analysis of Characters): A son of a concubine.
Yupian (Jade Chapters): Worry.
Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Biography of Lord Shang: Lord Shang was a concubine-born son of the state of Wei.
Book of Rites (Liji), Jade Beads: A son of a feudal lord calls himself minister nie. Commentary: This refers to the numerous sons of dukes and marquises.
General Discussion: The son of a concubine subordinate is called nie; the word nie implies sprouts; women who have committed crimes and are confiscated by the state, if they find favor and give birth, are like trees that have been cut down and sprout again, therefore the character is composed of child and nie. Nie means sin.
Erya (Approaching Elegance), Explanations of Teachings: Nie-nie means to wear or carry.
Book of Odes (Shijing), Odes of Wei: The various Jiang women are adorned. Commentary: Nie-nie refers to splendid ornamentation.
Nie is interchangeable with the character meaning disaster.
History of the Former Han (Hanshu), Biography of Jia Yi: A commoner and concubine stepping on his footwear.
Also borrowed to mean the character for demonic disaster.
Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan), Tenth Year of Duke Zhao: Hoarding wealth breeds disaster. Commentary: Hoarding means storing; disaster means demonic harm.
History of the Former Han (Hanshu), Treatise on the Five Phases: Anomalies involving insects and reptiles are called disaster.
Rhymes with ni (falling tone), pronounced yi (falling tone).
Jia Shi Yi Lin (Mr. Jiao's Forest of Changes): Political orders are inconsistent, and the common people suffer many disasters.
The character nie (referring to yeast) is written with the rice radical; it refers to yeast for brewing. It is distinct in meaning from nie (concubine-born son). Popular error equates the two, which is incorrect. The character is derived from the element xue. It is a vulgar form to use xue as the component.
