Chou Collection, Lower Volume Radical: Big (dà) Kangxi stroke count: 4 Page 248, Entry 10 According to the Collection of Rhymes (Jiyun), it is pronounced tai (falling tone), synonymous with the characters for big and great. According to the Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters (Shuowen), it means smooth. Another definition is great or to pass through. Note that in the classics and historical records, the character for great (tai) is generally written as big (da). Examples include the Supreme Ultimate (taiji), the Great Beginning (taichu), the Primal Element (taisu), the Great Chamber (taishi), the Great Temple (taimiao), the Great Learning (daxue), and titles such as Grand Master (dashi) and Grand Preceptor (taizai). It is also written as tai, as in the Great Hexagram (taigua), the Great Altar (taitan), the Great Declaration (taishi), and the seasons of great spring, great summer, great autumn, and great winter. When Fan Ye composed the History of the Later Han (Hou Hanshu), he changed the character to tai to avoid the naming taboo of his father, whose name was Tai. The additions made by the Mao family regarding rhymes are incorrect, as the ancient usage of the character for great in the classics and historical records did not include a dot; later generations added the dot to distinguish it from the character for big, which is incorrect. The Collection of Characters (Zihui) cites this, but lacks thorough investigation. It is also a surname, descended from Tai Dian, one of the four friends of King Wen, as seen in the Comprehensive Genealogy (Tongpu). It is also pronounced li (falling tone). In the Sacrificial Text to the Dragon by Ouyang Xiu, it states: It is fitting that you settle in your residence, remaining still to cultivate wisdom. With winter snows and spring rains, their abundance is already great. According to the Collection of Rhymes (Jiyun), it is also pronounced ta (falling tone). Taimo was a county name during the Han Dynasty, located southwest of Kuaiji. It is also written as tai.