爾雅

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"爾雅" by Unknown is the first surviving Chinese dictionary, with its major glosses likely dating from the 3rd century BC. This foundational work compiles diverse glosses from commentaries to pre-Qin texts, organizing over 4,000 words into nineteen thematic sections. From abstract concepts to concrete taxonomies of plants, animals, and family relationships, it became the authoritative lexicographic guide during the Han dynasty and was later elevated to one of the Thirteen Classics, establishing a tradition that influenced Chinese encyclopedias for centuries.

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