| roots | pinyin, English |
| 象 | [elephant] |
| synonyms | |
| 形 | xíng : shape |
| 狀 | zhùang : form |
Originally I had 'image', but after reviewing this word with my new method, I decided I liked 'sign' better. 'image' has the connotation of a visual relationship or representation that is not as universal as 'sign'. 'sign' is one syllable. It can take in the idea of 'image', 'symbol', and 'portent' and can mean them simultaneously; it also playfully suggests billboards, which presumably did not exist in ancient China, but an elephant is sort of a moveable billboard. I'm not quite sure of the etymological relationship between 'elephant' and 'image', but 'sign' suggests it more intuitively to me.
| image(s) | LY, L1, EC, DL, PI |
| substanceless image | AW |
| seems | WO, W1, WC, RH, RP, GR |
| apparently | PC, DH |
| appears | WW |
| might appear | JL |
| resembles | VM |
| likely | C1 |
| notion | DC |
| child | JS |
| [omits] | FE, AL, CM, AH |
All versions agree, with GD missing.
| image | WO, PC, LY [cap.], W1 [cap.], L1, C1, FE, EC, RH, VM, RP, DC, DH, DL, JS, GR, CM, PI, AH |
| form(s) | AW, WC |
| shape | WW |
| Semblance | JL |
All versions agree, with GD missing, and MWD-A missing 'xiang'.
AL compacts lines 15-16 into 'to where there is nothing', which loses sense. PC, W1, C1, FE, and JS have 'the image of the imageless' and AW 'Forms without form', no doubt to mirror the previous line, 'shì wèi wú zhùang zhï zhùang', but equating '物' with 'image' or 'form' makes no sense internally or within the broader contexts of the DDJ.
| image(s) | WO, L1, FE, EC, RH, VM, AL, RP, DC, DH (the mind's), DL, GR, PI, AH |
| form(s) | JL (of things), AW, LY, W1 [cap.], WC, C1, JS, CM, WW |
| types | PC |
MWD has 'zhong you xiang he 中有象呵'. GD missing.
| Image | JL [cap.] (of the invisible Tao), L1, C1, RH [cap.], EC [cap.], VM, AL (elephant), RP [cap.], DH, DL, GR (of the dao), AH, PI |
| Form | PC [cap.], AW [cap.], WC (Tao), DC, JS [cap.] (within), CM [cap.], WW [cap.], |
| Symbol | LY [cap.], W1 [cap.] |
| the one | FE |
| thought | LG |
GD has 'she 設 (establish?)' for 'zhi'.
| image | WO, L1, C1, EC, RH [cap.], VM, AL, DC, DH, DL, GR, PI, AH, |
| form | PC, AW [cap.], LY, W1 [cap.], WC, FE, RP, CM, WW, |
| semblance | JL |
| thought | LG |
| [omits] | JS |
GD has 'wáng¹ 亡' for 'wu'. MWD-B has 'xing 刑 (punish)'. MWD-A is missing.