芋尹

Unknown. The meaning and phonetic reconstruction are uncertain.

Attestations were sparse (chiefly in the Zuozhuan) and prone to typographic errors or variations in printed editions. The character 芋 might have been a corruption of another character, and several variant (and possibly corrupt) forms may have been attested in texts derived from the Zuozhuan.

芋尹

1. (historical, obsolete) Name of an official position in the states of Chu and Chen during the Spring and Autumn period.

   • 芋尹無宇斷之，曰：「一國兩君，其誰堪之？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     芋尹无宇断之，曰：「一国两君，其谁堪之？」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Yùyǐn Wúyǔ duàn zhī, yuē: “Yīguó liǎngjūn, qíshéi kānzhī?”

     The Yu-Yin (Shen) Wuyu cut it (the flag) down, saying: "Two monarchs occupying the same throne — who could possibly tolerate that?"

   • 芋尹無宇之子申亥曰：「吾父再奸王命，王弗誅，惠孰大焉？」…夏五月癸亥，王縊于芋尹申亥氏。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     芋尹无宇之子申亥曰：「吾父再奸王命，王弗诛，惠孰大焉？」…夏五月癸亥，王缢于芋尹申亥氏。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Yùyǐn Wúyǔ zhī zǐ Shēn Hài yuē: “Wúfù zài gān Wáng mìng, Wáng fúzhū, huì shúdà yān?”... Xià wǔyuè Guǐ Hài, Wáng yì yú Yùyǐn Shēn Hài shì.

     Shen Hai, the son of the Yu-Yin Wuyu, said: "My father twice disobeyed the King's command, yet the King spared him. What kind of clemency could be greater than those?" … In summer, the fifth month, on the day of Gui-Hai, the King hanged himself in the home of Shen Hai the Yu-Yin.

   • 芋尹蓋對曰：「寡君聞楚為不道，荐伐吳國，滅厥民人。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     芋尹盖对曰：「寡君闻楚为不道，荐伐吴国，灭厥民人。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

     Yùyǐn Gài duìyuē: “Guǎjūn wén Chǔ wéi bùdào, jiàn fá Wúguó, miè jué mínrén.”

     The Yu-Yin Gai (of Chen) said in reply: "My poor master understood that Chu acted perversely, that they twice invaded the Kingdom of Wu and massacred her people."