Chou Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Woman (nǚ) Page 254, Entry 26 Pronounced nu. As defined in the Analytical Dictionary of Characters (Shuowen): A bondservant; in ancient times, this referred to a criminal. Book of Rites (Zhouli), Office of Autumn, Ministry of Punishments: Men are classified as penal servants, and women are classified as pounding and threshing servants. For those who hold noble titles, those aged seventy, and those who have not yet shed their milk teeth, none shall be made bondservants. History of the Former Han (Qian Hanshu), Biography of Wei Qing: To be born a bondservant, is it not enough to escape the whip and the lash? How could one ever hope to be enfeoffed as a marquis? Also a place name. Yongnu was a district during the Han dynasty, belonging to Yuyang Prefecture. In the second year of the Jianwu era, Xun was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yongnu. See History of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu). Also a lake name. Areas surrounded by water on four sides are called Yong, and those where the water does not flow are called nu. See Commentary on the Water Classic (Shuijing Zhu). Also a surname. Descendants of Lunu. See General Genealogical Records (Tongpu). Also Niannu, the name of a famous court entertainer. Yuan Zhen, Lianchang Palace Lyrics: The eunuch official transmitted the call seeking Niannu. Also a Buddhist term. In Sanskrit it is suojia, translated into Chinese as nu. Also feinu (flying servant), referring to a pigeon. Zhang Jiuling kept a flock of pigeons at his home; whenever he had letters for friends or family, he would tie them to the pigeons' tails, and they would deliver them as trained. Also zhunu (candle servant), referring to a candlestick. Prince Shen had a statue of a young boy carved from sandalwood holding a painted candle, which he named zhunu. See Records of Events from the Tianbao Era (Tianbao Yishi). Also lunu (dairy servant). It is said that tea is the servant of milk. When Prince Su of Qi evaluated foods, he noted that only milk was unworthy of being a servant to tea. See Record of Buddhist Monasteries in Luoyang (Luoyang Qielanji). Also munu (wood servant), a term for orange or tangerine trees. Du Fu poem: Like the traveler from Chu longing for his hometown trees, I do not wish to learn from the profit of the wood servants of Jingzhou. See Anecdotes from the Jade Hall (Yutang Xianhua). Also zhunu (bamboo servant) and qingnu (green servant), which is what people call a bamboo wife (a hollow bamboo structure used for cooling during sleep), used to rest one's arms and knees. See Collected Works of Huang Tingjian (Huang Tingjian Ji). Also xinu (tin servant), a warming bottle for the feet. Lizhinu (lychee servant) refers to longans. Linu (cat servant) refers to an otter. See Anecdotes from the Jade Hall (Yutang Xianhua). Also pronounced nu. Used as a lowly term of address.