Zi Collection, Page Position: Lower Radical: Mouth (kǒu) Ancient form. According to Tang Yun, Ji Yun, and Yun Hui, it is pronounced yan (third tone). Shuowen Jiezi states it refers to muddy ground between mountains. It is composed of the radical Mouth and Water, representing the appearance of decay. It is pronounced like yan in Yanzhou. It refers to the fertile land of the Nine Provinces, and thus it is named Yan. Xu Kai states that the mouth radical symbolizes a mountain pass, and the eight represents half-water, symbolizing a small amount of water upon the earth. Yun Hui states that Yan was originally written as yan, and is commonly used interchangeably with yan; in modern script, it is written as yan. Mao Huang states that the character yan has the component yan in the center. The common form using the component gong to write yan is incorrect. Textual research: According to Xu Xuan, the reference to Xu Kai should be corrected to Xu Xuan in the Shuowen Jiezi. Page 179, Entry 12