Paul W. Kroll Books

A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese is an essential Chinese-English reference for readers of texts from the Warring States period to the Tang dynasty. Featuring over 8,000 characters organized alphabetically by Pinyin, it serves as a practical lexicon for translating historical, literary, and religious texts from approximately 500 BCE to 1000 CE. This dictionary focuses on individual characters (zidian 字典) and their meanings, while also including numerous alliterative and echoic binomes (lianmianci 連綿詞), as well as precise identifications of various plants, animals, and technical terms. Unlike previous dictionaries that conflate different eras and styles, this work addresses the significant evolution of written Chinese over its 3,000-year history, distinguishing classical and medieval Chinese from modern standard Chinese. It provides clarity by isolating meanings that emerged in the medieval period (250-1000 CE) from earlier usages. Users with a foundational understanding of classical grammar, whether from modern Chinese or Japanese backgrounds, will find it invaluable for interpretation. Advanced students will appreciate its comprehensive nature and accessibility. The dictionary includes an index by "radical" and stroke-number, along with appendices detailing reign-eras and accession dates of emperors in both Chinese and Western calendars. Corrections for some Middle Chinese readings have been provided by