"濂溪"名之缘由

历史上大多数文人都认为周敦颐自名“濂溪”,是因为他家乡有一条小溪叫“濂溪”,自名之用意是为了表示不忘家乡。这是一个误说。周敦颐家乡故居前的小溪以前不是叫“濂溪”,而是“营水”或“营江”;“濂”字是周敦颐仿元结自造专用字;他取“濂”字是为了“自箴”,而不是宋度正说的“志乡关在目中”之意。度正的《周敦颐年谱》有误。

The Origin of the Wording "Lian Stream"

Many author in history thought that Zhou Dun-yi was named "Lian Stream". Because there was a stream named "Lian Stream" in Zhou Dun-yi's hometown. He wanted to remember his hometown by using this name. This was a mistake. The stream in Zhou Dun-yi's hometown wasn't named "Lian Stream" but "Ying Water" or "Ying River". "Lian" was created by Zhou Dun-yi himself according to Yuan Jie. He used Lian to express self-respect, not to remember home town as Shong Du-zheng said. There was a mistake in Zhou Dun-yi's Genealogical Tree written by Du Zheng.