The original meaning of "Bo" is the eldest son. Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi": "Bo, eldest brother." Extended to the first rank, it refers to the eldest among the brothers, who is the "boss". Chapter 7 of "Doupeng Gossip": "The uncle is called Cao Pi, whose courtesy name is Zihuan; Zhong is called Cao Zhang, whose courtesy name is Zizhuang; Ji is called Cao Zhi, whose courtesy name is Zijian." Cao Pi, Cao Zhang, and Cao Zhi are all sons of Cao Cao, and Cao Pi is the eldest. So he is called "Bo". "Bo" can also be used in the ranking of women, referring to the eldest among sisters. "Book of Songs·Beifeng·Quanshui": "Ask my aunts, then I asked my uncle." "Uncle" means the eldest sister.
The original meaning of "Zhong" is "中". Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi": "Zhong: Zhongye." "Huainanzi Tianwenxun": "Taiyin is in Sizhong, and the yearly stars move in three places." Gao You's note: "Zhong, Zhongye. Sizhong, It is said that Taiyin is among the four directions of Mao, You, Zi and Wu. "It is extended to be ranked second, which is the "second". "The Book of Songs·Daya·Hao Min" says: "Emperor Baozi gave birth to Zhongshanfu." "Zhongshanfu" was the second son of Duke Xiang of Lu. "Zhong" is also used in women's ranking. "The Book of Songs·Beifeng·Yanyan": "The Zhong family is left alone, and its heart is blocked. ...The thoughts of the ancestors are based on Xu (xù) the widowed people." Gao Hengjin's note: "Zhong family, in ancient times, the eldest son and eldest daughter were called Bochen Meng, the daughter of the middle son is called Zhong. "(Ren: surname. Zhi: modal particle. Xu: help, here it means "matching". I, the self-proclaimed king.)
" "Bo" and "Zhong" are often used together to express the ranking of brothers. Volume 193 of "Taiping Guangji" quotes Du Guangting's "The Biography of the Qiu Beard": "Ask for his surname. He said: 'Zhang.' Asked about the second among brothers. He said: 'The longest." "The second between brothers" is the order of brothers. . Extended as a respectful title for older men. Ban Gu's "Bai Hu Tong·Name": "At fifty, a person is called Bo Zhong. At fifty, he knows the destiny, thinks and is determined, and can follow the order of the four seasons, so he is called Bo Zhong." It can also be extended to be a generation name for brothers. You Miao's "The Poetry of the Tang Dynasty·Lu Wo": "The prosperity of Xuan Mian is unparalleled in modern times. The four brothers are Xianju Xianli." The "four brothers" are four brothers. It is further extended to refer to people with close relationships. Kong Shangren's "Peach Blossom Fan: Cursing Banquet": "Bozhong of Donglin is known and respected by everyone in the brothel." Wang Jisi and others noted: "Bozhong originally refers to brothers, but here it means cronies." (Donglin: refers to the late Donglin Party.) It is further extended to refer to things that are closely related. Cao Yin's poem "Autumn Drink": "Looking at the big and small "Ya", Bo Zhong's version is the same." From "brother", it can also be extended to a metaphor that people or things are incomparable, and it is difficult to distinguish between superior and inferior. Cao Pi's "Dian Lun·Wen": "Fu Yi is as close to Ban Gu as brothers."
The original meaning of "Uncle" is "picking up". "The Book of Songs·Binfeng·July" "In the ninth month, Uncle Ju (qū) picks tea and firewood (chū)." Mao Hengzhuan: "Uncle, picks it up." (Ju: pockmarked. Tea: bitter herbs. Firewood: chopped firewood. 樗: The name of the tree.) "Uncle" means the father who is younger than the father, that is, "uncle", which is its pseudo meaning. Later, the borrowed meaning became the common meaning, and the original meaning disappeared. "Uncle" is extended from the "uncle" of the paternal generation who is younger than the father to mean the third in the ranking of brothers. "Historical Records of Xiang Yu" Sima Zhensuo Yin: "Cui Haoyun: 'Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji, the brothers are next.'" "Uncle" is the third after "Bo" and "Zhong".
The original meaning of "Ji" is "Shaozi", that is, the youngest son. Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi": "Ji, also known as Shao." Duan Yucai's note: "Both uncle and Ji are called young, and Ji is younger than uncle." Therefore, Ban Gu's "Bai Hu Tong Name" says: "Ji "The youngest" is extended to mean the fourth, last, and smallest. "Etiquette·Shiguanli": "Bo Fu, Zhong, Shu, Ji, are the only ones he deserves." Zheng Xuan's note: "Bo, Zhong, Shu, Ji are the names of the elders and the young." "Bo Zhong, Shu Ji", "Season" is in the fourth. "Ji" can also be used for women's rankings. Han Yu's "Epitaph of Wang Jun, a judge of Dali": "I gave birth to three sons, one boy and two girls. The boy died at the age of three. The eldest daughter married Yao Ting, the captain of Yongcheng, Bozhou, and his younger sister was ten years old." "Ji" refers to the youngest. daughter. "Ji Mei" is the youngest sister.
The original meaning of "Meng" is "ranked first". Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi": "Meng means eldest." It is extended to mean the eldest among brothers and sisters. Confucius was the second eldest, named Zhongni, and his elder brother was called "Mengpi". "Meng Nu" is the eldest daughter. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Qi was a great country, and Qi's surname was Jiang, so the eldest daughter of Qi Jun was called "Meng Jiang". By extension, it is generally referred to as the eldest daughter of various countries. "The Book of Songs, Yongfeng, Sangzhong": "Who thinks of the beauty Meng Jiang." Zheng Xuan wrote: "Meng Jiang, the eldest daughter of all countries." "Meng Jiang" is often connected with "beauty". (As in the above example), so later generations extended it to generally refer to beautiful women.
Xu Fuzuo's "The Story of Throwing the Shuttle·Zi Jie": "Like a cloud girl, like a cloud girl, with a face like Meng Jiang; Qin Huai Li, Qin Huai Li, just like Pu Shang."