Character: 肅
Modern (Beijing) reading: sù
Preclassic Old Chinese: sikʷ
Classic Old Chinese: siuk
Western Han Chinese: sjǝuk
Eastern Han Chinese: sjǝuk
Early Postclassic Chinese: siuk
Middle Postclassic Chinese: siuk
Late Postclassic Chinese: siuk
Middle Chinese: sjük
Fanqie: 胥郁
Rhyme class: 屋
English meaning : be beating, beat; eager, fast
Russian meaning[s]: 1) строгий; торжественный; суровый; важный; величавый; 2) принять срочные меры; 3) подавить, уничтожить; 4) почтительный; смиренный; 5) приглашать (гостей); 6) Су (фамилия)
Shuowen gloss: 持事振敬也. 從聿在{片爿}上. 戰戰競競也.
Comments: Often reduplicated, both in the sense 'solemn', 'very solemn' and 'eager, fast'. Schüssler translates the word in some passages (e.g. Shi 7.1) as 'be beating, beat', but it is probably just an expressive usage of the word in the meaning 'eager, fast' (sikʷ-sikʷ "we (beat down) eagerly" (the pegs of the rabbit-net).
The meanings 'eager' and 'concentrated, solemn' are historically quite close and there is no need to consider them as representing two homonymous words in OC.
Radical: 129
Four-angle index: 2051
Karlgren code: 1028 a-b
Shijing occurrences: 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 21.1, 21.2, 24.1
