Seek Search and Sok (索)
al
This is to seek or to 索 further knowledge of the mahjong Suo or Sok,
索. whoever have insight to the mystery of 索 should tell it now.
I found my new knowledge of 索 recently in Kangxi Zidian, 康熙
dictionary, which is a source of reference for the past 300 years. The
Zidian is said to be based on two older dictionaries of Ming
(1368-1644). The word 索 was already in use then. Thus 索 is obviously
an old word.
Here are excerpts from the dictionary and my interpretation in square
brackets:
《書序》八卦之說，謂之八索。[In terms of creation, Bagua is said to be 八索.]
Bagua refers to the Eight-Trigram, the 8 symbols of creation in
Yijing, Book of Changes. 八索 could be what looks like a twisted octagon
in the mahjong set. If it is, then 索 is a three-line diagram, called a
gua. Each gua is a natural phenomenon, such as Heaven, Earth, Fire,
Water, Thunder, Wind, Mountain and marsh.
Also 索 is explained in Kangxi Zidian as 草有莖葉可作繩索。大者謂之索，小者謂之繩. It says
[stalks can make 繩索. The bigger is called 索 and the smaller is 繩.]
There are other meanings of suo, 索: [And in ancient time all
pronounced suo.]
又《集韻》蘇故切，音素。For example: 《釋名》索，素也。[索 is also 素.]
八索，著素王之法也. [since 索，素也, and 《書序》八卦之說，謂之八索, again in terms of creation,
八索 is Bagua, 八卦.
八索，著素王之法也: [Then 8-Suo, 八索, is 著素王’s way of describing the elemental
origin (著素王 could be legendary Fu Xi or King Wen 周文王 of Zhou (1099–
1050 BC).]
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A note of interest: “古之造文者, 三画而连其中谓之王。三者, 天、地 人 也; 而参通之者, 王也。”——《说文》.
This explains the derivation of the word, 王. The three lines represent
Heaven, Man and Earth. A King connects and relates with them all.
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That is how I understand suo (Seek Search and Sok (索).
Allan Lee,
May 27, 2009
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