JULIAN PAS
APPENDIX II: CHINESE DIVINATION TERMINOLOGY
The terminology used in the context of ancient Chinese divination practices is often conflicting and confusing. It is therefore appropriate to define the terms, both in English and in Chinese.
A. English Terminology
The two basic types relate to bone divination and to plant (stalk) divination.
1. OSTEOMANCY, general term for Bone Divination
Dates from the Shang period or even from earlier times, and includes divination types using a variety of animal bones, especially bovines, sheep or pigs, later also tortoises. Subdivisions, using specific kinds of animal bones:
(a) SCAPULIMANCY or SCAPULOMANCY: using the shoulder blades of sheep, oxen, etc. This term is often inaccurately used for bone divinations in general,
(b) CHELONIOMANCY: using the carapace of tortoise or turtle;
(c) PLASTROMANCY: using the 'plastron' (lower bone) of tortoise.
2. ACHILLEOMANCY: divination of Chou origin (probably) using a number of stalks derived from the milfoil plant, also called yarrow. One of the methods using stalks is the ICHING consultation, which is perhaps an early ancestor of the popularized temple oracles.
B. Chinese Terminology
卜 pu (Karlgren or K. no. 757) to divine by tortoise shell; to divine (shows fissures in heated shell).
兆 (K. no. 1182; Mathews or M. 247) prognostic, omen (cracks in burnt tortoise shell, read as prognostics) a sign, omen.
爻 (K. no. 217; M. 2583) Yao— intertwine; change; lines in the hexagrams of I-ching.
Miyazaki (p. 162); this character yao "is nothing else but the figure of two of those crosses", obtained by counting divination sticks, to see whether their number was odd or even.
夬 (K. 161) (accident), calamitous, unfortunate, sad; of bad omen; cruel [a man falling with legs upwards into a pit]
Miyazaki: (p. 162); two sticks remaining in a box or container: means "bad omen, unlucky”, since representing an even number.
吉 (K. 325) auspicious, lucky, good, (an affair: which may be spoken of, not taboo).
Miyazaki: three sticks (odd number) remaining in divination: therefore 'good omen, lucky'. For unknown reason, "container' replaced by 'mouth'; perhaps pronounced aloud.
卦 (K. 433): 8 trigrams, basis of I ching (from 2 x three yao plus 'divination')
占 (K. 1162; M. 125) to discern omens, inquire into prognostics, prognosticate, to divine; a lot (to interpret prognostics); to divine by casting lots; to observe signs, to foretell