Text/Dream Cow
Moderator's speech: Why is xuchang this place called "Xu". Some people say that it is because Xu Yu came here to graze, so it is called Xu. The initiator has no examination, and others have written articles that follow this paraphrase. The three became tigers, and it seemed to be a foregone conclusion. We don't think it's appropriate for that.
Voice-over: Before we begin to tell the history of the development and migration of the Xu surname, let's first understand the evolution and meaning of the word "Xu" in order to better understand the Xu surname.
If any friends are interested in the Jin text, they will know that in the bronze inscriptions involving Xu Guo in the Spring and Autumn Period, "Xu" is not written "Xu", but "鄦" or "無 (wu)". Such as the "Xu Nanding" in the late Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, Xu Guo's real name is actually "鄦", and writing "Xu" is a falsehood.
What is the original meaning of "鄦"?
According to the "Etymology of Chinese Characters", "none" is also known as "橆 (wu)", which refers to dense grass and trees but no governance. Add a "Yi" next to it, that is, refers to the place where the grass is dense. This is because the eastern part of Xuchang is in the Huanghuai alluvial plain, the terrain is relatively low-lying, there are more swamps in the ancient period, and the grass and trees are luxuriant. It can be seen that "鄦" is named after the natural environment.
So, when did "鄦" evolve into "Xu"? According to the "Collection of Interpretations", Xu Guangyue was quoted: "Zhen Yin xu. Xu Gong, Ling Gong also. After Emperor Hanwu, "Xu" was used instead of "鄦", and the word "鄦" was abolished and not used.
We know the origin of "Xu", so how does Xu You hook up with "Xu"?
According to the villagers, according to legend, Xu You was a high priest in ancient times, and Emperor Yao wanted to give up the throne to him, and he refused to accept it; Emperor Yao made him the governor of Kyushu, and he went to the yingshui to wash his ears, expressing his reluctance to hear these worldly words.
Xu Yu was afraid that Emperor Yao would come back to pester, so he led his tribe down the Yingshui River to the east and found another place to live. When they came to yandi and saw that the terrain in this area was flat, the soil was fertile, the forest was luxuriant, and the roe rabbits were flocked, they stopped, formed grass, slashed and burned, and became the masters of this area.
According to the book "Chinese Surname Culture", the source of surnames in the ancient period was first a place name, and then based on the place name to give the surname, for example: the Yellow Emperor lived on the shore of Ji Shui, he took Ji as a surname; The Yan Emperor lived next to Jiang Shui, and took Jiang as his surname.
In the Zhou Dynasty, the clans of the princes were generally given according to the names of the places they were divided into. In a princely country, the monarch divided his sons and courtiers into a place and gave him the name of the place as a clan.
In the pre-Qin literature, there is no example of first setting a clan for a person, and then naming a place according to the person's clan. Therefore, the legendary Xu You should be the pioneer of the rich and fertile land of Xuchang, the sower of the Xudi civilization, not the ancestor of Xudi's title, nor the ancestor of Xu's surname.
So the question is, who is the ancestor of the Xu family? Take a look at the next episode.
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