eight-legged essay

English

Etymology

Calque of Chinese 八股文 (bāgǔwén).

Noun

eight-legged essay (uncountable)

  1. (education, historical) A portion of the Chinese imperial examination that consisted of writing an essay consisting of eight parts.
    • 1967, Chung-li Chang, “Preparation for Examination — A Major Activity of the Gentry”, in The Chinese Gentry Studies on Their Role in Nineteenth-Century Chinese Society‎[1], University of Washington Press, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 166:
      In "Notes of Ling-hsiao and I-shih," Kuo-wen chou-pao, chüan 9, No. 28, July 18, 1932, p. 1, Chang Ch'ien, native of Nan-t'ung, Kiangsu, who later founded the big cotton mills, is described as beginning to study poem and eight-legged essay writing at twelve, becoming sheng-yüan at the early age of sixteen.

Translations

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