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Erya
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Wade-Giles romanization:
Erh-ya
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Erya

Chinese lexicon
Also known as: “Erh-ya”
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Erya, an early Chinese lexicon that is considered a classic work of Chinese literature and is sometimes ranked with the Wujing (“Five Classics”) in importance and influence. The Erya, possibly assembled in the Qin (221–207 bce) or early Han (206 bce–220 ce) dynasty, is a compilation of words found in texts from the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 bce) and is organized into 19 categories. The entries are accompanied by definitions and information on usage. Both the form and the content of the work influenced the creation of later Chinese lexicons.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.