You Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Foot (zú) Character: Nie Kangxi Stroke Count: 25 Page 1236, Entry 27 Pronounced nie. As defined in the Shuowen Jiezi (Shuowen), it means to tread. According to the Dialects (Fangyan) by Yang Xiong, it means to ascend. According to the Explanation of Names (Shiming), it means to gather; it refers to ascending upon something to make it submissive. According to the Guangya, it means to wear footwear. It also means to be in a hurry. As recorded in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), Annals of Qin Shi Huang: Treading in the ranks of the foot soldiers.