Re: Who coined the mahjong symbols "Cash", "String of Cash" , "Myriad of Cash" and why

On May 22, 6:52 pm, al <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Apr 29, 9:02 pm, al <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:> On Apr 17, 9:10 am, al <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:> On Mar 26, 2:24 pm, al <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Jan 29, 2:43 am, al <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:> On Jan 7, 5:27 pm, al <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:> NAQ (Never-Asked-Question) :

Who coined the mahjong symbols "Cash", "String of Cash" , "Myriad of
Cash" and why?

This terminology in the early days of modern mahjong is much liken to
the days of Genesis. Cash, String of Cash and Myriad of Cash are
comparable to the "fruits". And the fruits are apples, pears and
plums.

The level of knowledge of one genesis was comparable to that of the
other.> [..]

Now look back and ask ourselves. Was the Book of Genesis about fruits
or was there more to the story?

2000 years ago, it was perhaps all about fruits, but not now.

Likewise, was Mahjong a story all about Cash or was there more to the
game?
[..]
[..]
The [name Cash] was given [by] Himly.
Understandable..."String of Cash" or "Myriad of Cash" [even now] are not terms in
common Chinese usage. In fact, Chinese Sparrow-game players do not
use those names at all.[..]

Cash is a western notion; It is not in Chinese mahjong.

[..]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++> [..]
January 7, 2008

Would this be a correct interpretation then?

Pan used "suo", [soc] according to Lo.
Lo's translation was "suo" for 索.
Lo's translation was published in the 20th century, The Playing-Card
Vol. xxix Number 3.
Himly wrote it as "So" when he described 索 in the 19th century.
Wilkinson referred to 索 as a "string of Cash", after Himly, likewise
did Culin.
Himly referred to 索 "suo" as "string of Cash" before Wilkinson, Culin
and Lo.

Lo followed suit [of a western version], so to speak.
That is how it seems.
[..]

However, it's about time for people today to differentiate objects
from symbols. [..] [..]
Coin or cash is object, not symbol.

Himly and others failed to [do] that.
[..]
[..] Cash by definition was a copper coin with a square hole in
the middle of each round circle. No hole; not Cash. It's simple logic.
In fact the hole-less circles look just like coins for divination use,
[..]
See a symbol design below.

http://www.taopage.org/iching/image_4.jpg
This circular symbol looks very much like 1-Circle.

The rationalization was that the hole-less coin could have been
silver, because somewhere history of coins had mention of such
production at one time.
Tong is not copper, ngun (silver)
A minor detail: tong was worth one-tenth of one cent.

[..]
[..]
The square hole was missing in all the circle symbols of all mahjong
sets shown in M. Stanwick's mahjong(g), a 4-part series [..]
That ought to serve as a strong signal that there was miscommunication
somewhere. But when so few people ever wrote about it, readers believe
anything said. [..]

So "Cash" by Himly was taken incorrectly from the start. [..]
Slang interpretation and dialect variation added up to [conclusion from]
miscommunication especially when translation is also involved].

[..][..]

Anybody who thinks mahjong is only about 150 years old needs to think
again.
Mahjong was invented before paper was invented. That was one simple
reason tiles were made from ivory and bamboo and never in paper.

Diamond was found 5000 years ago in India, but the stone is probably
as old as the earth itself. Mahjong was found by Westerners less than
200 years ago, but the game could have been [ten times or ] 2000 years old.

People made conclusion on the age of an object based on the time that
object was found is making the same mistake as the case for diamond.

However, regardless who and why the Circle was coined as Cash, the
name is wrong for the simple reason Cash explains nothing for the
game.
++++++++++++
I believe there is explanation for every symbol in the mahjong game.
We won't find it in history books.
+++++++++++
Cheers....al

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