耐字考

Abstract

The etymological interpretation on the character Nae(耐) in the authoritative dictionary Xuewenjiezi(說文解字) is not clear and accurate because it is based contemporary concept of penal laws. Not only Xushen(許愼)’s interpretation in Xuewenjiezi but also others including Duanyucai(段玉裁)’s can be said almost anachronistic. The largest reason of this is that traditional commentaries did not know the existence of oracle bone and bronzeware scripts. This paper is to try an history-anthropological interpretation on the Character Nae(耐) by emulating the example as shown in the pioneering etymology dictionary by Shirakawa Shizuka(白川靜). The conclusion of this essay is that firstly Nae(耐) is an reflection of the ritual ceremony for rain by the magician who shaved his head and second the meaning of shaving his head is a kind of sympathetic magic praying for fertility which is commonly seen through the ancient agricultural world as proved by the classic of anthropology The Golden Bough.