Hai Collection, Upper Volume
Radical: Horse (mǎ)
Entry: Teng
Kangxi stroke count: 20
Page 1442, Entry 01
Tang Dynasty Rhyme Dictionary (Tangyun), Collection of Rhymes (Jiyun), Rhyme Compendium (Yunhui), and Correct Rhymes (Zhengyun) all provide the pronunciation as teng.
Jade Chapters (Yupian): To leap upward; to gallop.
Book of Rites (Liji), Monthly Ordinances (Yueling): In the late spring season, lei oxen and teng horses are brought together, allowing the mares to go to the pasture to mate with the stallions.
Commentary: Lei and teng both refer to animals kept in pairs.
Sub-commentary: In late spring, the yang energy is abundant and animals are breeding; therefore, lei oxen and teng horses are kept together, allowing mares to approach stallions to facilitate reproduction.
Also, Explanation of Script (Shuowen): To transmit. Another interpretation refers to castrated horses. Also a surname. Also used interchangeably with the character ying.
Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial (Yili), Gongshi Dafu Rite: The attendants delivering the dishes walk to the end of the stairs, without ascending to the main hall, hand over the covers to the person who has already ascended the hall, and then withdraw.
Commentary: Teng should be written as ying. Ying means to send. To bestow, to hand over to the person who has already ascended.
Common variant form is written as teng.
Textual verification: Regarding the instruction to allow stallions to approach mares to facilitate reproduction, in accordance with the original text of the Monthly Ordinances (Yueling) sub-commentary, the phrase has been corrected from allowing the stallion to approach the mare to allowing the mare to approach the stallion.