十二画（12 strokes) 幅(182) 策(291) 等(294) 十三画(13 strokes) 汉字的世 犒(255) 简(297) 舅(312) 嫁(211) 十四画（4 strokes) 笔 算(300) 画检索 3
⊙ [、部] 汉 的 zhǔ 主 界 主 *权力或财富的所有者 →主人（客的对立面) 燃文照明的灯心一最重要的、最基本的 负主要责任者 ·当事人 “主”字的意义相当丰富，但又有相当一致的指向：指“权 力或财富的所有者”，如“当家作主”之“主”；可指“当事人”，如 “火主”、“买主”之“主”：可指宾客的对立面，如“东道主”之“主”； 可指“负主要责任者”，如“主席”、“主讲”之“主”；指“最重要 的”、“最基本的”，如“主要”、“主力”之“主”。显然，“主”字意义 以“中心”、“首要”为核心。但要追究它的字形取象，却很可能会 令很多人吃惊。甲骨文“主”写作，描绘的是柴木燃烧的形象。 小篆“主”字的写法稍稍有些变化，写作生，描摹的是灯盏中燃 有一豆灯火。表示且有中心、首要意义的事物或概念的“主”同 它原初的字形取象一一“火”又有什么关系呢？ 查阅字典，我们可以发现，“主”字的本义与其字形构成相 符，为“灯中火主（炷）”(《说文解字》)，也就是古代燃火照明的 “灯心”。丽“主”的今日通行的“中心”、“首要”意义则是后起的。 这种后起意义之所以会发生：，原因就在于火在先民的口常生活 中占据了中心、首要的地位
⊙ 自人类认识了火的作用，并能对它进行控制掌握以后，人们 汉 的饮食起居便一刻也离不开 字的 火。火不但可以烧煮食物，取 暖照明，而且可以驱赶猛兽，保 世界 障安全。因此，火便很自然地 在人们生活起居中占据了中心 地位，而且，这种中心地位甚至 不是抽象的、无形的。民俗学 资料表明，早期人类居所的中 问部位都是火塘，人们在火塘 边煮饭、议事、取暖、睡觉，形成 环火而居的习俗。考占发现证 明，在中原地区，直到商代中后 唐代的烛合，依稀 期，居住遗址中才出现设灶的 保留了原初“主”的形象 偏屋与不设灶的起居主室分开 candlestick of Tang dynasty, 的现象，而在此之前，先民当然 reminds us of the original“主” 是实行这种环火而居的习 俗的。 关于火在人们居住习裕中的中心地位，还可以由人们敬奉 灶王爷的风俗见其一斑。根据文献记载，至少在春秋时代，古人 已经有祭灶的习尚，而灶神实际上就是火神，灶神作为家神，其 神性特征便是鉴别是非善恶，这正与火烛光亮照物的物质特性 相一致。所以敬奉灶神就是敬奉火神，只不过摻杂了较多的火 烛崇拜意识。当然，火烛崇拜的发生，即火在人们居家生活中中 心地位的取得，同时又与火对人们构成的种种威胁不无关系。 火在古人心目中是一种非人力所能控制的灾祸之源，所以古文 字“灾”曾有许多构形，如回、山、贷、恭等，而“火”始终是其表义 符号。由此再来观察本取象于火的“主”字的后起通行义，便不 会感到奇怪了
⊙ *possessor of power and wealth 汉 -host 字 lampwick most important and fundamental 的 →responsible'adre 世界 *party concerned The meanings of""are plentiful and mono-directional:it 主 can refer to“权力或财富的所有者”(possessor of power and wealth),asin“当家作主”(he master in one's own house);it can refer to“当事人”(party concerned),asin“失主”(loser) and“买主”(buyer);or to the opposite of guests,asin“东道 主：”(host);orto“负主要责任者”(responsihle cadre),asin“主 席”(chairman),and“主讲”(lecturer);orto“最重要的”(mosl important)and“最基本的”(fundamental),asin“主要”(main) and“主力”(main force).()bviously,:he meanings of“主”are centered around“中，心"(center)and“首要”(principle).But we will be surprised to learn the graphic formation of".In ora- cle bone inscriptions,.“主”was written米，depicting burning firewood.In small seal scripts,it was slightly different,writ- ten depicting a flame in a lamp.What possible relation can "E"have which signifies the idea of conter and principle with its earliest graphic formation--fire? When we look up in the dictionary,we find the original meaning of“主”_“灯中火主（炷）"(the lampwick)orre- sponds to its graphic structure (Shuowen Jiezi).The common meanings of",心”and“首要”are later derivatives..This is be- cause fire had played a central and principle role in cveryday lives of ancient men
Since man realized the usage of fire and kept it under con- 汉 trol.fire became a daily necessity of ancient men.Fire could be 字 used not only for cooking and lightening but for driving away 的 fierce animals.So fire naturally became central in everyday 世 lives,which was not ahstract or invisible.The folklore studics 界 proved that the cen:ral part of the house was set for fire cham- 主 her,around which peoplc undertook cooking,negotiation, warming from the fire and sleeping.to form the custom of liv- ing around the fire.The archcological finds proved that in the Middle Plain,as late as in middle and late Shang dynasty,the principle room without kitchen range began to sort out from the wing room with kitchen range.Before that ancient men naturally practiced the custom of living around the fire. The central position of fire in lives of ancient men could be further testified by the custom of worshipping kitchen god. It was recorded that in as early as Spring and Autumn period people began to worship kitchen god,which was in fact the fire god.As a home god,the kitchen god was supposed to dis- tinguish rights from wrongs,just corresponding to its feature of illumination.So to worship kitchen god is to worship fire god.Of course,the worship of fire.or the central position of fire in domestic life,was also related to the threats of fire.In the eyes of ancicnt men,fire was the source of disaster out of control,so though“灾"(disaster）had various graphic varie ties,such as@、志关，，they all took'“火”(fire)as semantic symbol.Now we will not feel strange to the late derivatives of “主"which was suggested originally by fire. 4