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Fenlei zijin 分類字錦 "Brocade of words divided into categories" is a rhyme dictionary compiled on the imperial order during the Kangxi reign-period 康熙 (1662-1722) and finished in 1722. In 64 juan or fascicles, idioms (chengyu 成語) from all ages and literary categories have been assembled, ranging from disyllabic to tetrasyllabic expressions. For each word, quotations from literature are presented, with the objective of providing a handbook for the composition or the study of poetry. The quality of the Fenlei zijin is rated as very high, and the arrangement as very unique.
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As usual, the book begins with the topic "Heaven" (tian 天), and the binomial metaphoric expression (erzi chengdui 二字成對) fudao 覆幬 "cover", quoting from the Liji 禮記 "Records of Rites". The next section (not in the image) are binomial expressions including the word tian 天 (erzi beiyong 二字備用), followed by trisyllabic (sanzi chengdui 三字成對), and tetra-syllabic (sizi chengdui 四字成對) metaphoric expressions. Edition Taibei: Wenyou shudian, 1967. |
| 〖二字成對〗 | Binomial metaphoric expressions |
| 【覆幬】《禮記》：「辟如天地之無不持載無不——。」 | The ritual Classic Liji says, "He may be compared to Heaven and Earth in their supporting and containing, their overshadowing and curtaining, all things." |
| 【臨下】《詩》：「——有赫。」 | The "Book of Songs" Shijing says, "Beholding this lower world in majesty." |
| 〖二字備用〗〖仄〗 | Binominal expressions with the lemma word. Inflected tone pitches. |
| 【上帝】《詩》：「—臨汝[女]。《五經通義》：「天神之大者曰昊天——。」 | The Shijing says, "God is with you." Liu Xiang's (79-8 or 77-6 BCE) commentary collection Wujing tongyi says, "The greatest of the heavenly gods is called Supreme Deity of Vast Heaven." |
| 【帝命】《詩》：「—式于九圍。」 | The Shijing says, "God appointed him to be a model to the nine regions." |
| 〖三字成對〗 | Three-syllable metaphoric expressions |
| 【群生仰】《物理論》：「天者——所—。」 | The Wulilun says, "Heaven is what all living beings look up to." |
| 【知大始】《易》：「乾———。」 | The "Book of Changes" Yijing says, "Heaven knowns the grand origin." |
| 〖四字成對〗 | Four-syllable metaphoric expressions |
| 【無聲無臭】《詩》：「上天之載————。」 | The Shijing says, "The doings of High Heaven, Have neither sound nor smell." |
| 【至神至虛】翟楚賢《碧落賦》：「至妙至極——」。 | Zhai Chuxian's (Tang period) "Rhapsody on Green River Luo" says, "The utmost subtlety, the utmost extremity, the utmost divinity, the utmost emptiness." |
There is a print from the year of the finalisation. The Fenlei zijin is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.
| 1-2 | 天文 | Heaven and the sky |
| 3-4 | 節令 | Seasons and time |
| 5-6 | 地理 | The earth |
| 7-9 | 山水 | Mountains and rivers |
| 10-11 | 帝后 | Emperors and empresses |
| 12-13 | 倫常 | Human relations |
| 14-15 | 肢體 | The body |
| 16-17 | 人物 | Human affairs |
| 18-20 | 佩服 | Clothes and adornment |
| 21-22 | 飲饌 | Diet |
| 23-24 | 宮室 | Buildings and living |
| 25-27 | 器用 | Tools and utensils |
| 28-29 | 禮儀 | Rites and ceremonies |
| 30-31 | 音樂 | Music |
| 32-34 | 職官 | State offices |
| 35-30 | 政教 | Government and education |
| 39-40 | 文事 | Literature |
| 41-42 | 武備 | Military preparedness |
| 43-44 | 技藝 | Skills and arts |
| 45 | 境遇 | Visits and travelling |
| 46-47 | 釋道 | Buddhism and Daoism |
| 48 | 菽粟 | Vegetables |
| 49 | 布帛 | Clothes and fabric |
| 50 | 珍寳 | Jewels |
| 51-52 | 果木 | Fruits and trees |
| 53-54 | 花卉 | Herbs |
| 55-58 | 鳥獸 | Birds and beasts |
| 59-60 | 蟲魚 | Creeping and swimming animals |
| 61 | 數目 | Numbers |
| 62 | 卦名 | Prognostication |
| 采色 | Colours | |
| 巧對 | Binomials expressing skills | |
| 借對 | Binomials using loan words | |
| 雙聲 | Binomials using repetitive words | |
| 叠韻 | Internal rhymes | |
| 63 | 偶字 | Paired words |
| 通用 | Colloquial expressions | |
| 64 | 祥瑞 | Auspicious signs |