Chê is composed of 白 tzŭ (= 自 see line 46) as radical, and a contraction of 旅 lü a body of 500 men (not a contraction of 老 lao old as in line 41). It is impossible to say what was its original meaning; perhaps a leader of 500 men. It is now a particle imparting various forces, substantival (as here), adjectival, adverbial, etc., to words and phrases, and is classed under radical 老 lao old. For its phonetic value, based probably upon some older sound, see lines 149, 176, 230, 238.
| 50. | 天 | 地 | 人 | are Heaven, Earth, and Man. | |
| T'ien1 | ti4 | jen2 | |||
| Heaven | earth | man |
T'ien is composed of 一 i one, its original radical, and 大 ta great, its present radical. Originally meaning the top, that which is above, the physical sky, it soon came to mean the invisible Power beyond, God; popularly, the old man in blue clothes. See line 79.
Ti is composed of 土 t'u earth, soil, as radical, and 也 yeh female, heaven being regarded as male. See line 79.
Jen see line 1. [When chaos resolved itself into the universe, the lighter gas rose and formed the sky, while the heavier congealed and formed the earth. From the interaction of these two, "the bridal of the earth and sky," all things were produced, of which the chief was man, endowed with reason.]
| 51. | 三 | 光 | 者 | The Three Luminaries | |
| San1 | kuang1 | chê3 | |||
| Three | bright | ones |
San see title.
Kuang is composed of 火 huo fire above 人 jen man (line 40). The former used to be, the latter is now, its radical.
Chê see line 49.
