radical
The radicals are the same radicals that are common to Chinese characters, and are used as a benchmark for classifying Chinese characters. All Chinese characters are bound to be classified in a radical. The concept of radicals by the Eastern Han Dynasty scholar Xu Shen in the 100 AD (Yong Yuan 12 years) by the "Shuowen Jiezi" created, from the words of the general use of the head as the Chinese characters seizure way. After that, many words to imitate "Shuowen Jiezi" to radicals to classify Chinese characters. Such as "jade articles" (542 radicals), "class" (540 radicals), these words are used in the script is regular script, the content is not to explain the source of the text, but to explain the meaning of the main. But the use of radicals almost with the "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" the same, easy to retrieve the shortcomings are still. In China, for a long time in order to easy to seizure, compared to the use of radicals to sort Chinese characters, the use of rhyme arranged in Chinese characters more popular book. This classification helps to fill poetry, easy to check the word. For example, when the Song Dynasty was also published in order to rhyme order of "Shuowen Jiezi". ...