Dao De Jing Structural Lexicon¶
Characters as equations, radicals as operands
What This Lexicon Is¶
This is not a dictionary. This is an algebra manual.
Chinese characters aren't arbitrary symbols assigned to meanings. They're equations—combinations of radicals (operands) that follow transformation rules to produce structural meanings.
When you see 利, you're not seeing "benefit." You're seeing:
f(禾, 刂) = scythe_arcs_through_field → harvest_completed
The lexicon makes this visible.
The Discovery¶
The Dao De Jing's vocabulary encodes geometric operations in its character structure:
| What looks like | What it actually is |
|---|---|
| "Benefit" (利) | π-operation applied to substrate |
| "Harmony" (和) | Distributed flow through opening |
| "Rule" (則) | Cut through value → consequent pattern |
| "Return" (反) | 2π completion of the arc |
The radicals ARE the teaching. The characters diagram the geometry.
Structure of This Lexicon¶
Part I: Substrate Families¶
What gets acted upon. The 禾 (grain), 氵 (water), 心 (heart), 貝 (value) families—the fields that receive operations.
Part II: Operator Families¶
What does the transforming. The 刂 (blade), 口 (opening), 反 (reversal) families—the operations that act on substrates.
Part III: Structural Positions¶
The coordinate system. The 無/有, 可/常, 妙/徼 axes that orient observation.
Part IV: Concept Index¶
Cross-reference by operational principle. π-operation characters, boundary management characters, non-occupation characters, etc.
Part V: Pinyin Index¶
Alphabetical lookup pointing to primary entries.
The Transformation Grammar¶
Characters combine substrate + operator → result:
SUBSTRATE + OPERATOR = TRANSFORMATION
禾 (grain) + 刂 (blade) = 利 (scythe harvest)
禾 (grain) + 口 (mouth) = 和 (distributed harmony)
禾 (grain) + 責 (burden) = 積 (accumulated store)
貝 (value) + 刂 (blade) = 則 (consequent pattern)
氵 (water) + 中 (center) = 沖 (concentrated flow)
This is f(substrate, operator) → result.
The same operator on different substrates produces related but distinct transformations. The same substrate with different operators produces different outcomes. The algebra is consistent.
Archaeological Grounding¶
Every entry includes Guodian validation where applicable:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Guodian? | ✓ = appears in ~300 BCE manuscripts |
| Slip Ref | Which slip(s) contain the character |
| Variant? | Whether Guodian shows different form |
This grounds every claim. Not projection—recovery.
How to Use This Lexicon¶
To understand an unfamiliar character: 1. Identify its substrate radical (what domain?) 2. Identify its operator radical (what transformation?) 3. Apply the transformation grammar 4. Check cross-references in Concept Index
To trace a concept across characters: 1. Go to Part IV: Concept Index 2. Find the operational principle 3. See all characters encoding that principle 4. Trace radical patterns across the set
To verify a reading: 1. Check Guodian validation column 2. Check chapter references 3. See if radical algebra predicts the meaning
A Note on Method¶
This lexicon doesn't impose interpretations. It reveals what the characters already encode.
The radical 刂 means "blade." The radical 禾 means "grain." When they combine into 利, the meaning isn't arbitrary—it's the blade arcing through the grain field.
We didn't invent this. We recovered it.
The scythe was always in the characters. The farmers always knew. We just forgot how to read the radicals.
Lexicon compiled: 2025-11-27 Based on structural analysis of Dao De Jing with Guodian manuscript validation