The dictionary has confirmed that "July Liuhuo" can describe the hot weather | Modern Chinese Dictionary | Liuhuo
Every July, many people are accustomed to using "July flowing fire" to describe the hot weather, but those familiar with the origin of this idiom will point out that this usage is incorrect.
On July 30th, a reporter from Changjiang Daily noticed that according to the latest version of the Modern Chinese Dictionary, there is a new annotation to describe the hot weather as "July flowing fire".
Recently, Wang Nan, editor and editor of the Institute of Languages at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told Changjiang Daily reporters that "July Liuhuo" originated from the "Book of Songs · Bin Feng · July". Ancient and modern annotations generally believe that the author describes the astronomical phenomenon of "in the seventh month of the summer calendar, the Great Mars gradually moves downwards" to refer to the climate change where the heat begins to dissipate and the weather gradually cools.
The Modern Chinese Dictionary is one of the most important reference books for Chinese people worldwide to learn modern Chinese. The 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary, compiled by the Dictionary Editing Office of the Institute of Languages, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and published by the Commercial Press, is currently the latest version of the Modern Chinese Dictionary. Wang Nan has participated in the revision and writing of multiple reference books such as the Modern Chinese Dictionary, Xinhua Dictionary, and Modern Chinese Dictionary.
Explanation of "July Flowing Fire" in the 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary
The reporter consulted the 6th and 7th editions of the Modern Chinese Dictionary and found that the 6th edition did not include "July Liuhuo". The 7th edition included "July Liuhuo". While introducing the origin and definition of "July Liuhuo", a new explanation was added: "Now it is also used to describe hot weather."
Tang Zhengda, Associate Researcher at the Institute of Language Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explained in response to an interview that the meanings of "July" and "fire" in the idiom "July Flowing Fire" were closely related to the calendar, astronomical knowledge, and agricultural knowledge at the time of its origin. The term "July Liuhuo" has been used by most people to refer to hot weather, which is the result of multiple factors working together.
The 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary has been on the market for many years, but online searches by reporters have found that when referring to "July fire" in articles such as "frequently misused idioms", "10 frequently misused idioms, don't make the same mistake again!", "60 easily misused idioms, don't make the same mistake again", and "Quick collection! 30 frequently misused idioms", they still consider "describing hot weather" as a misuse, and the correct usage still refers to "summer and autumn come, the weather turns cooler".
Liu Bishu, a senior editor who participated in the revision of the Modern Chinese Standard Dictionary, believes that dictionary editing experts cannot resist the general public. Therefore, the 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary has added a new explanation: it is now also used to describe hot weather.
Wang Nan explained that "July flowing fire" is used to describe the hot weather in July according to the Gregorian calendar, and it is no longer an isolated phenomenon or an occasional use by individuals. "It has been agreed upon.". Chinese language dictionaries should keep up with the times and provide appropriate reflection and guidance on established language phenomena and changes in order to better play their role.
Tang Zhengda believes that it is a common phenomenon in Chinese for language users to "interpret the meaning of the text" or "change the text based on its meaning" without agreement. Although this is a misuse, the regularity behind it is also worth respecting. He said that the 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary's supplementary explanation of "July Flowing Fire" also reflects this attitude.
The 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary provides an explanation of "coming from nowhere"
The original meaning of some idioms is very different from people's understanding today
If you pay attention, it can be found that the original meaning of some idioms is very different from people's understanding today, which is also reflected in the Modern Chinese Dictionary, such as "intrigue", "back-to-back", "wind from nowhere", "foolishness", and so on.
Experts and industry insiders have different opinions on the new definition of "July flowing fire" in the 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary, which is now used to describe hot weather.
The attitude of Professor Zhang Qiulin from the School of Literature at Central China Normal University is not to recommend using "July flowing fire" to describe the hot weather. A senior proofreader also expressed the same attitude: while reading the new definition of "July Liuhuo" in the 7th edition of the Modern Chinese Dictionary, it is also important to see the explanation in parentheses that using "July Liuhuo" to describe hot weather is a misunderstanding.
Another expert suggests that for typical idioms like "July Flowing Fire", it is the responsibility of serious Chinese language users to adhere to their original meaning or not use their "new meaning". Idioms are not ordinary vocabulary after all. The use of idioms is a language usage behavior that evokes historical memories and reflects on history. Try to maintain consistency, which helps to inherit culture.
