Wei Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Silk (mì) Character: si Kangxi Stroke Count: 15 Page 931, Entry 02 Ancient text: Guangyun (Broad Rhymes), pronounced si. Jiyun (Compilation of Rhymes) and Yunhui (Collection of Rhymes), both pronounced si. Zhengyun (Correct Rhymes), pronounced si. Shuowen (Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters): Fine cloth made of fifteen layers of threads. Another definition states it is cloth made of two parts hemp to one part silk. Shiming (Explanation of Names): Si means silk. When hemp is spun to be as fine as silk, it is called si. Yupian (Jade Chapters): Three-month mourning garment. Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial (Yili), Mourning Garment: The commentary states: Si is fifteen-layer cloth, with half the threads removed; when the process involves the thread, it is called si, and when it involves the cloth, it is called si. Commentary: It is called si because the threads are processed to be as fine as silk. Book of Rites (Liji), Great Transmission: Four generations removed is the si mourning period, which is the end of the mourning obligations.