Yin Collection, Middle Volume. Radical: Work (gōng). 5 strokes. Page 325, Entry 08. Pronounced zuo (falling tone). In Augmented Rhymes (Zengyun): Left and right determine position. Left is the opposite of right; human custom prizes the right, considering it the position of honor. In Record of Rites (Liji): Men take the right, women take the left. In Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji): Esteeming the worthy on the left and the relatives on the right. Annotation: Wei Zhao states that left is synonymous with high, and right with low. Furthermore, in Augmented Rhymes: Hands and feet favor the right, and the left is considered awkward or skewed; therefore, everything obscure or base is called skewed-left. In History of the Former Han (Qianhan): Established the laws of left-officialdom. Annotation: Shigu states that left-officialdom is synonymous with devious ways. Skewed-left means not upright. In the Han dynasty, following ancient customs, the imperial court considered the right as honorable, which is why a demotion in rank is called left-transfer. Serving a feudal lord is called left-officialdom. In Rhyme Collection (Yunhui): A strategy that does not suit the situation is called a left-plan. Also: Left means perverse. Also: Riding in a carriage favors the left. In Record of Rites (Liji): In a mourning carriage, the left side is left empty. Commentary: Empty means vacant. On a carriage, the left is honored; the charioteer sits on the right, leaving the left empty to accommodate the spirits. Also: Auspicious occasions favor the left. In Record of Rites (Liji): Confucius and his students stood with hands folded, favoring the right; his students all followed suit and favored the right. Confucius said, I do this because I am in mourning for my sister, but you should all favor the left. Annotation: Mourning favors the right, and the right represents the yin. Auspicious occasions favor the left, and the left represents the yang. Also: Not assisting. In Zuo Tradition (Zuozhuan): The Son of Heaven favors whom he favors, and I also favor them; those whom he does not favor, I also do not favor. Commentary: People have a left and a right; the right is convenient and the left is not. Therefore, those one assists are the right, and those one does not assist are the left. Also: To verify. In History of the Former Han (Qianhan): The left-verification is clear. Annotation: Left means left-witness. It refers to those who were present at the time and witnessed the matter. Also: A surname. In Wide Rhymes (Guangyun): The royal clan of the Qi state had left and right dukes, and subsequently took this as their surname. Also, there are two double-character surnames in the Han dynasty: Zuo Tradition mentions Duke Muyi as Left Master, and his descendants took this as a surname. During the Qin dynasty, there was Left Master Chu Zhe. In the Jin dynasty, Xian Mie was Left Walker, and his descendants took this as a surname. In the Han dynasty, there was Censor Zuo Xinghui. Pronounced zuo (falling tone). In Analytical Dictionary of Characters (Shuowen): Hands assisting each other. In Approaching Refinement (Erya): To guide and enlighten; left and right mean to guide one another. To guide means to assist and support. In Book of Changes (Yijing): To assist and guide the people. In Book of Documents (Shangshu): The Duke of Zhou assisted the former kings. Also rhyming with zu (rising tone). In Wang Yi’s Nine Longings (Jiusi): Meeting a shooting star, I ask the way, looking at my finger pointing to the left. Traveling straight toward the constellation Ju-Zi, the charioteer is lost and misses the track. Also rhyming with zuo (level tone). In Book of Odes (Shijing): To the left, to the left, the gentleman is suited by it.