page_title: Shuowen Jiezi
hierarchical_section_title: Shuowen Jiezi
caption_attribution_description: English: Cover page of the Shuo wen zhen ben, a dictionary dedicated to etymological descriptions of Chinese characters. 中文: 说文解字十五卷 册页（八册） - 白棉纸线装 - 30×17.5cm - 署年：汲古閣刻本
context_page_description: Shuowen Jiezi was an early 2nd century Chinese dictionary from the Han dynasty. Although not the first comprehensive Chinese character dictionary, it was the first to analyze the structure of the characters and to give the rationale behind them, as well as the first to use the principle of organization by sections with shared components called radicals.
context_section_description: Shuowen Jiezi (Chinese: 說文解字; lit.: 'discussing writing and explaining characters') was an early 2nd century Chinese dictionary from the Han dynasty.  Although not the first comprehensive Chinese character dictionary (the Erya predates it), it was the first to analyze the structure of the characters and to give the rationale behind them, as well as the first to use the principle of organization by sections with shared components called radicals (bùshǒu 部首, lit. "section headers").
caption: Cover of a modern reprint of a Song dynasty "veritable" edition (真本) of the Shuowen Jiezi
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