235.  逮至隋

Tai4 chih4 sui2 

Reach arrive sui

At length, under the Sui  dynasty, 

Tai is composed of the walking radical, and an obsolete phonetic which is a picture of a hand catching hold of a tail, thus suggesting the idea of reaching. It is often written 迨. 

Chih see line 94. 

Shui, which is said to be a contraction of 隨 (line 254t), was originally composed of 肉 jou flesh as radical, with the contraction of an obsolete word meaning to destroy. It meant to tear or rend meat, and was pronounced t'o3 (line 20). It is now classed under 阜 fou a mound (line 228), and is the name of a dynasty founded A.D. 589. 

236. 一土宇 

I1 t'u3 yü3 

One earth sky 

the empire was united under one ruler. 

I see line 45. 

T'u see line Q6. 

Yü see line 233. [Eitel says the Sui dynasty "united in one the central lands as well as the borders." There is no authority for this violence done to tu yü, which simply means territory, i.e. the empire.] 

237. 不再傳

Pu1 tsai4 ch'uan2

Not twice transimit

The throne was not transmitted twice, 

Pu see line 5. 

Tsai is composed of —  i one, and a contraction of 冓 kou which is said to be a picture of mutually handing over in exchange, out of which some idea of two, second, etc., has been "chiselled." It is now classed under an obsolete radical 冂 meaning waste land on the very outskirts of the known world. [The line means that the dynasty ended with its second Emperor.]

 

Ch'uan see line 163. 

238. 失統緒

Shih1 t'ung3 hsu4

Lose control clue 

succession to power being lost. 

Shih was origin ally composed of 手 shou hand as radical, with 乙 i a cyclical character as phonetic, and meant to relax, to let go; hence the modern signification. It is now classed under radical 大 ta great. 

T'ung is composed of 糸 ssu silk as radical and 充 ch'ung to fill, to fulfil, as phonetic. It means to gather together, all, collectively, etc. 

Hsu is composed of 糸 ssu silk as radical, and 者 che (line 49) as phonetic, and is defined as one end of a skein of silk, giving the idea of continuity. In this sense it enters into the 年號 nien hao year-title of the reigning Emperor, who is popularly known as 光緒 Kuang Hsu Glory Continued.