Si Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Fire (huǒ) 炭 Kangxi Strokes: 9 Page 668, Entry 24 Pronounced tan. Shuowen Jiezi (Explanation of Simple and Compound Characters): The remnants of burnt wood. Composed of the fire radical, with the abbreviated form of the character for shore (àn) indicating sound. Yupian (Jade Chapters): Extinguished fire, or fire itself. Book of Rites (Liji), Monthly Ordinances (Yueling): When grasses and trees turn yellow and fall, then fell firewood to make charcoal. Also, silt and charcoal; silt refers to mud, and charcoal refers to fire. Book of Documents (Shangshu), Announcement of Zhong Hui (Zhonghui Zhi Gao): The people have fallen into the mire and charcoal. Also, clam charcoal. Rites of Zhou (Zhouli), Autumn Official (Qiuguan), Red-Casting Officer (Chibashi): Responsible for clearing walls and houses, using clam charcoal to treat them. Also, Zhengzitong (Proper Character Guide): Stone charcoal, which is the coal burned in the northwest today. Book of Han (Hanshu), Treatise on Geography (Dilizhi): Yuzhang Commandery produces stone that can be burned as firewood. Xu Ling, Spring Sentiment Poems: Stone charcoal pounds the light silk. Also, bran charcoal, commonly written as bran-charcoal. Bai Juyi Poems: At sunset, half a stove of bran charcoal fire. Compendium of Materia Medica (Bencao): When decocting medicine or roasting over fire, bran charcoal is appropriate. Also, suspended charcoal, an ancient method for measuring qi. Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu), Treatise on Harmonics and Calendars (Lüli Zhi): Weighing the earth and charcoal to observe yin and yang. When the winter solstice arrives and the yang energy responds, the shadow is at its longest; the Huangzhong pitch pipe connects with the earth and charcoal, making it light so the balance rises. When the summer solstice arrives and the yin energy responds, the shadow is at its shortest; the Ruibin pitch pipe connects with the earth and charcoal, making it heavy so the balance lowers. Huainanzi, Treatise on Astronomy (Tianwen Xun): Water prevails, so the summer solstice is damp. Fire prevails, so the winter solstice is dry. Being dry, the charcoal is light; being damp, the charcoal is heavy. Emperor Wen of Liang Poems: The moon halo makes the reed ash deficient; autumn returns and the suspended charcoal withers. Also, a surname. Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital (Xijing Zaji): Tan Qiu, a person from Chang'an.