Zhengzitong 正字通

Zhengzitong 正字通 "Comprehensive [dictionary] of orthodox characters" is a character dictionary whose entries are arranged according to character radicals. It was compiled by Zhang Zilie 張自烈 (1597-1673), courtesy name Ergong 爾公, style Qishan 芑山, who was an academician of the Directorate of Education (guozijian 國子監) at the very end of the Ming period 明 (1368-1644).

Simply said, the Zhengzitong is an abbreviated version of the dictionary Zihui 字彙, with some errors. It is nevertheless very interesting because it contains quotations from colloquial language that were later not recorded in the famous Qing-period 清 (1644-1911) dictionary Kangxi zidian 康熙字典.

The Zhengzitong strengthened the use of the 214 radical system established by the Zihui and was therefore an important milestone on the way to the standard dictionary of premodern China, the Kangxi zidian.