Xu Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Mound (fù) Kangxi stroke count: 17 Page number: 1357, column 03 The character is 隉. According to Tangyun (Tángyùn), it is pronounced wǔjié qiè. Jiyun (Jíyùn) and Yunhui (Yùnhuì) give niéjié qiè, with a pronunciation similar to niè. Shuowen Jiezi (Shuōwén Jiězì) explains it as: dangerous. The character form is composed of 'Mound (fù)' and an abbreviated form of 'huǐ'. Xu Xun (Xú Xún) believed that niè signifies ominous peril. Ban Gu (Bān Gù) said it means unstable. The Book of Documents (Shangshu) states in the 'Great Declaration' (Tài Shì): 'bāng zhī wù niè' (the state is unstable and precarious). Further, Shuowen Jiezi (Shuōwén Jiězì) cites Jia Shizhong (Jiǎ Shìzhōng) as saying: niè refers to legal regulations. Yupian (Yùpiān) records that it is sometimes also written in a variant form. Guangyun (Guǎngyùn) records that it is synonymous with niè (臲). Jiyun (Jíyùn) records that it is sometimes also written as zhì (摰), ní (棿), or ní (倪).