Xu Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Metal (jīn) Qie Kangxi strokes: 17 Page 1314, Entry 01 Tang Rhymes (Tangyun): Pronounced jie. Collected Rhymes (Jiyun) and Orthography Rhymes (Zhengyun): Pronounced jie. Pronounced ye. Explication of Characters (Shuowen): A sickle. Regional Expressions (Fangyan): A hook used for cutting grass. In regions west of the pass, some call it a sickle, others call it a qie. Collected Rhymes (Jiyun): Sometimes also written in a variant form. Also, Wide Rhymes (Guangyun): To carve. Strategies of the Warring States (Zhanguoce): To sever the lower leg of someone crossing the river in the morning. Commentary: Qie means to sever. Xunzi, Exhortation to Learning (Quanxue pian): To carve a few times and then give up, even rotten wood cannot be carved; to continue carving without stopping, even metal and stone can be successfully carved. Also, Wide Rhymes (Guangyun): To sever. Zuo Tradition (Zuo Zhuan), Ninth Year of Duke Ding: Borrow all the carriages of the townspeople and sever their axles. Commentary: Qie means to sever. Also, to be harsh and cruel is called qie. Book of the Later Han (Houhan shu), Biography of Liu Tao: Relax the harsh and cruel prohibitions. Also, Collected Rhymes (Jiyun): Pronounced qi. Orthography Rhymes (Zhengyun): Pronounced qi. The meaning is the same. Also, Wide Rhymes (Guangyun) and Orthography Rhymes (Zhengyun): Pronounced jie. A sickle. Collected Rhymes (Jiyun): Sometimes also written in a variant form. Textual Research: Xunzi, Exhortation to Learning: The original text stated rotten wood would not rot. According to the original text, this has been corrected to would not break. Zuo Tradition, Ninth Year of Duke Ding: The text stated to sever their axles hemp. According to the original text, the phrase is to sever their axles, while hemp refers to the binding used before returning them. The character for hemp is not to be read with the preceding text. The character for hemp has been deleted.