一切經音義 1.21

1.21

Vulgar and base (庸鄙: The upper character has the fanqie sound yong-cong [yōng]. The Kaosheng states: 'Yong means foolish.' Zheng Zhong's commentary on the Da Dai Liji quotes Confucius: 'What is called a mediocre man is one whose mouth does not speak good words, nor can he choose worthy men and good gentlemen to entrust himself to, taking them as upright; he merely follows along with things and drifts, not knowing where to return. One such as this may be called a mediocre man.' The Songs of Chu also states: 'Such a lowly person.' The Shuowen states: 'It derives from geng with the sound yong (用).' The lower character has the fanqie sound bei-mei [bǐ]. The Kaosheng states: 'Bi means a lowly person; an appellation for bad, vulgar, rustic, and unintelligent is a bifu (rustic man).' The Shuowen states: 'Five zizan make a bi; it derives from city (邑) with the sound [口/(百-日+回)] (pronounced bǐ).' Zizan has the fanqie sound zi-duan [zǎn], meaning one hundred households; altogether five hundred families make a bi).