Dōng 東 ‘East’ and the Chinese “Indian Circle”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Zheng's instructions to first track the shadow tip over the day to produce a circular (actually hyperbolic) arc, with the gnomon-centered circle constructed afterward as an operation on that shadow path, make an interesting practical difference.

“Zhèng's more rough-and-ready instructions to first track the shadow-tip over the course of the day so as to produce a circular (actually hyperbolic) arc, with the gnomon-centered circle (or arc) constructed after the fact as an operation on that shadow path, make for an interesting practical difference .24”

• AssumptionRests on an assumption: The path traced by a gnomon shadow tip over a day is a hyperbolic arc.

May combine two claims.

The choice of 東 in 量 could not have been phonologically motivated, and the meaning 'east' cannot account for the reapplication.

“Again, the choice of ⟨東⟩ here could not have been phonologically motivated, nor could the meaning 'east' itself account for the reapplication .”

May combine two claims.

The suggestions that 東 depicts the rising sun, a tree, or the spring season do not withstand paleographical scrutiny.

“However, as is now widely recognized, these suggestions do not bear paleographical scrutiny .”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Pankenier, while considering celestial polar methods likely for alignment of Shang tombs and other ritual edifices, remarks on the closer cardinal alignment of minor associated structures.

“Indeed, while considering celestial polar methods likely for alignment of Shang tombs and other ritual edifices (well known to respect directions slightly east of geodetic north), Pankenier (2013: 101-2 incl .n .43) also remarks upon the closer cardinal alignment of minor associated structures .”

• cites Pankenier 2013Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

May combine two claims.

The choice of 東 as the basis for the early coinage of 陳 was apparently not phonologically motivated, and the semantics of 'east' are not sufficient to explain its reapplication to write 'set in line'.

“The choice of ⟨東⟩ as the basis for this early coinage was apparently not phonologically motivated, nor are the semantics of 'east' themselves sufficient to explain the character's reapplication to write a word meaning 'set in line' .”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

Liu addresses the question of evidence for such a procedure within the earlier Chinese textual record.

“The question which Liú moves to address (while acknowledging the clear possibility that the Shùshù jìyí here or elsewhere was in part heir to traditions of Indian origin) concerns evidence for such a procedure within the earlier Chinese textual record .”

• cites Liú 1999Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Liu opens with an anecdote from commentary to the Shùshù jìyí, around the sixth century CE, relating an exchange between Róng Chéng and a nameless backwoodsman.

“Liú opens with an anecdote from commentary to the mathematical text Shùshù jìyí 數術記遺 (ca .sixth century ce) relating an exchange between the legendary Róng Chéng 容成 and a nameless (and directionless) backwoodsman (chuānrén 川人) .13”

• cites Liú 1999Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

May combine two claims.

Zheng's account reads as long-standing folk wisdom, and there is increasingly clear archaeological evidence for use of the vertical gnomon in contexts as ancient as late Longshan Taosi, around 2000 BCE, in southern Shanxi.

“Zhèng's account, after all, reads as long-standing folk-wisdom-and there is increasingly clear archaeological evidence for the use of the vertical gnomon in contexts as ancient as late Longshan Táosì 陶寺, ca .2,000 bce, in modern-day southern Shānxī province .25”

• cites Pankenier 2013Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

The word chén 陳 means to arrange or lay out in a line; its derivative zhèn 陳 means a layout or array, often specifically a battle array.

“The word chén (< *drən) 陳 means 'set in line, lay out, arrange'; the derivative zhèn (< *drəns) 陳, in etymological terms 'that which is set in line', means 'layout, array (n .)'and is frequently more specific 'battle array' .26”

• cites Schuessler 2007Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing).

If 重 was not simply a phonosemantic coinage, perhaps its creators wished to evoke the layers of the heavens, most naturally understood by reference to the eastern horizon.

“If this character was not simply a phonosemantic coinage (and the curious design suggests it was not), perhaps its creators wished to evoke the layers of the heavens, most naturally understood by reference to the eastern horizon .”

Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

The word liáng 量 means 'measure, assess'; its derivative liàng 量 means 'a measure'.

“The word liáng (< *raŋ) 量 means 'measure, assess'; the derivative liàng (< OC *raŋh) 量, in etymological terms 'that which is measured', is 'a measure (n .)' .”

• cites Schuessler 2007Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

We have Zheng Xuan's associated commentary from 127-200 CE, which previous studies have not addressed.

“However, we do have the associated commentary of Zhèng Xuán 鄭玄 (127-200 ce), as far as I am aware not addressed in previous studies .”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

Chinese parallels to the Indian Circle are considered systematically in Liu Dun's 1999 study.

“Of particular interest here are several more and less straightforward Chinese parallels to the Indian Circle, considered systematically in the 1999 study of Liú Dùn 劉鈍 .”

• cites Liú 1999Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

Zheng's discussion provides a more nuanced view of the history of the Indian Circle in the Chinese textual tradition.

“Zhèng's discussion provides for a more nuanced view of the history of the Indian Circle as reflected within the Chinese textual tradition .”

May combine two claims.

Use of the Indian Circle procedure was not restricted to early India; Vitruvius describes a Roman tradition with Greek precedents, and scholars have considered its use in Old Kingdom Egypt for aligning the Great Pyramids or associated structures.

“The use of such a procedure was hardly restricted to early India: in addition to modern applications, there is the description from Vitruvius (fl .70-15 bce) of a Roman tradition with Greek precedents, for example, while several scholars have considered the possibility that such a technique was used in Old Kingdom Egypt for alignment of the Great Pyramids or associated structures .12”

• cites Morgan 1914Not matched

  Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

• cites Isler 1989 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source
• cites Neugebauer 1980 sourceNot checked — no full text of the source

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

Early writing, apparently including 東, will prove to be a bridge across this gap.

“Early writing itself, apparently including the character ⟨東⟩, will prove to be a bridge across this gap .”

May combine two claims.

Observations timed at sunrise and sunset meet practical problems: variation in local horizon altitude causes differences between the sun's altitude at sunrise and sunset, and long early morning and late afternoon shadows are poorly defined.

“But as many have noted, observations so timed meet with problems in practice: variation in the altitude of the local horizon will mean differences between the altitude of the sun at sunrise versus sunset, for instance, and the long shadows of early morning and late afternoon are relatively poorly defined .”

Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted).

Most twentieth-century investigators proposed that 東 was devised not to write *tôŋ 'east' but an approximate homophone, later adopted to write 'east' because of phonological closeness.

“As claims for an original relationship with *tôŋ 'east' thus seemed less likely, most twentieth-century investigators took a different approach: perhaps this character was devised not to write *tôŋ 'east' but some (approximate) homophone, only later to be adopted to write 'east' on the basis of phonological closeness .”