| 169. | 撮 | 其 | 要 | Pick out the important points in each, | |
| Ts'o4 | ch'i2 | yao4 | |||
| Choose | the | need |
Ts'o is composed of 手 shou hand as radical, and 最 tsui to collect (line 202) as phonetic.
Ch'i appears to have been written 兀 (see line 143) in early ages, meaning a stand for exhibiting things. It is defined as a word for pointing at things, a demonstrative, and is now classified under radical 八 pa (line 88). It is sometimes a demonstrative, and sometimes merely the article, definite or indefinite.
Yao is composed of an obsolete character representing the two hands as radical, and 交 chiao to interlace, originally a picture of crossed legs, as phonetic. The whole is a picture of a man standing with his arms akimbo, and meant waist, now written 腰 with 肉 jou flesh as radical: hence necessary, important, to need, etc. Read yao1 it means to meet, to intercept, to make an agreement, etc.
| 170. | 記 | 其 | 事 | and take a note of all facts. | |
| Chi4 | ch'i2 | shih4 | |||
| Record | the | affair |
Chi see line 118. It is not meant that such facts should be learnt by rote, but rather noted for use.
Ch'i see line 169.
Shih is composed of 史 shih historian (line 176), its old radical, with a contraction of 之 chih (line 1) as phonetic, and originally meant duties of office, to serve. It is now classed under radical 亅 (obsolete), and means business, affairs, but here points towards facts, as opposed to theories, which facts heterodox writers may have simply misinterpreted.
