Chou Collection, Middle Volume Radical: Earth (tǔ) Kangxi stroke count: 6 Page 223, Entry 11 Collection of Characters (Zihui) states the pronunciation is yu, the same sound as the word for at. It means a river embankment. Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji): When Confucius was born, the center of the top of his head was concave, which is why he was named Qiu. Sima Zhen states: This means a depression. In the regions along the Yangtze and Huai rivers, where the water level is higher than the fields, embankments are built to block the water, which are called wei.