Interpreting Shijia Buzu(室家不足) in the Book of Songs·Shaonan·Hang Lu through the Lens of Interchangeable Uses of Zu(足) and Shu(疋)

Abstract

The characters 足 and 疋 have the same etymology and were occasionally used interchangeably. It was during the Warring States period that they began to be used separately. In Chapter 室家不足 of the Book of Songs, 室家 should be interpreted as 家庭, and 足 is equivalent to 疋, which is pronounced as 雅 and means 正. Therefore, 室家不足 refers to the illegitimacy of the family relationship