One of the inscription styles. The Ming and Yuan Dynasties refer to the words carved on objects, which are passed down to future generations to record merits and praise virtues. Lu Yanji's inscription in Selected Works of Cui Yuan's Motto is: "My brother Zhang was killed, so he took revenge with his hand, and he was desperate and was pardoned. I wrote this inscription to warn myself and taste the right place, so I said this motto. " The motto comes from this. The inscription of the motto is shorter than other inscriptions, and some are just one or two sentences or aphorisms, which are placed next to the seat to warn themselves. Everyone has his own principle of dealing with people, and the motto is a common form of observing this principle. The content of the motto is to encourage yourself, push yourself, or restrain your behavior.

Motto is an inscription. There are two interpretations of "name" in Modern Chinese Dictionary:

(1) Words describing facts, achievements, etc. On artifacts and slates;

(2) Be wary of your own words.

The inscriptions with the first meaning, such as Liu Zihou's epitaph by Han Yu, a great writer in the Tang Dynasty, Sanhuaitang's epitaph by Su Shi, a literary master in the Song Dynasty, and Xu Jun's epitaph by Wang Anshi, all belong to this category. These classic inscriptions not only add charm to China's ancient prose with their unique literary forms, but also add their simple language and deep feelings.

The inscription with the second meaning, that is, the inscription of "use your own words carefully", which is what we usually call "motto", has its own genre, words or couplets, and its words are long and short, which plays the role of inspiring self-cultivation and urging the police to save the province. According to "Southern History", Wu Jie, a famous scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty, "Those who are good at reading history, remember the past, and record it and decide on the right seat. After a long time, the walls are full of proverbs. " This may be the early source of relevant aphorisms seen in official history.

However, as an inscription clock, the earliest inscription is not a word, but an object, that is, the "object inscription": it is said that during the Spring and Autumn Period, the Qi people built a temple for the dead. There is a wine container in it, which wakes up the wine. Once, Confucius and his students visited the temple. He said to the students, "When the vessel is empty, it should be tilted. Pour the wine or water into it, and then stand up when it is halfway." When the device is full, it will tilt. Therefore, in the past, Qi Huangong always put this instrument on the right side of his seat to warn himself not to be complacent. "As can be seen from the words of Confucius, the earliest motto is this kind of wine vessel called' distributor'.

Today, along with the long river of history, the "motto" has changed from the initial sacrificial container, later metal carving ... to today's words, and many "styles" evolved during this period are quite intriguing, and its warning significance still gives people profound enlightenment.

Note: Cui Yuan, a calligrapher in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was impulsive when he was young. Because his brother was killed, he killed his enemy in a rage and then ran away alone. A few years later, the imperial court granted amnesty and returned to his hometown. Cui Yuan knew that she had caused a great disaster because of her recklessness, so she posted an inscription (a style) on the right side of the seat to warn herself.

form

Motto generally includes three forms: ① self-topic; (2) Recording classic speeches or celebrity aphorisms; (3) The first is to ask questions. Mottos are often put where people can see them to remind themselves at all times. It is more common to stick it on the conspicuous wall in the house or write it on the title page of a notebook, and some are posted on the table.