<p>多功能成语词典 explains:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>解释 速:邀请｡指未经邀请而突然自己来的客人｡</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and also gives the note:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>提示 “速&quot;不要解释成“速度&quot;或“迅速&quot;｡</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese</em> also notes that 速 has the meanings</p>
<blockquote>
<p>2 lead to, induce to; beckon toward; invite.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>汉语大词典</strong> also notes this meaning, with many examples</p>
<blockquote>
<p>5 召, 请。</p>
<p>《诗·小雅·伐木》
既有肥羜, 以速諸父。</p>
<p>郑玄 笺
速, 召也。</p>
<p>《文选·张衡〈思玄赋〉》
速燭龍令執炬兮, 過 鍾山 而中休。</p>
<p>旧注
速, 徵也。</p>
<p>清 顾禄 《清嘉录·冬至大如年》
是夜, 人家更速燕飲, 謂之節酒。</p>
<p>杨树达 《〈凌虚岛〉小说序》
近者得君札, 速余序君書。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s not that 速 came to mean <em>invite</em> - but rather that it meant this as early as <em>I Ching</em>, which came out roughly 1100 BC - over three thousand years ago:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>《周易·需》:“有不速之客三人来｡&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T00:14:46.360Z
Amazing! Thank you very much! 叩头叩头！ 诗经我有：代木许许，酾酒有冀，既有肥羜，以速诸父。 Now I want to buy that dictionary: The Students Dictionary of Medieval and Classical Chinese.
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T00:39:16.887Z
@Pedroski Yeah, it's a helpful resource - it also comes with middle Chinese pronunciations (速 is suwk, for instance). MoE also has a dictionary of idioms, this should be the link for 不速之客 http://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cydic/gsweb.cgi?ccd=rMgSHi&o=e0&sec=sec1&op=v&view=0-1&fmt=11# but it's quite difficult to navigate, there is a Pleco converted dictionary here: https://plecoforums.com/threads/taiwan-ministry-of-educations-dictionary-of-chinese-idioms.5605/#post-42540 that's a lot easier to use.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T07:57:57.387Z
Can you supply the ISBN?
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-11T08:11:21.517Z
@Pedroski ISBN13: 9789004324787 but it looks like a paper copy will set you back $239.00. Digital version is much cheaper ($39.99 in Pleco).
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-10T09:22:58.320Z
2018-01-11T08:08:53.750Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Mou某
<p>（So many questions lately, sorry. Saturday I go on holiday!）</p>

<p>A gatecrasher is a person who turns up uninvited at a party or function. </p>

<p>汉语说：不速之客</p>

<p>速： speed
不速之客: no speed guest = gatecrasher ??</p>

<meaning-in-context>
How does 速 come to mean invite?
# How does 速 come to mean invite?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-10)

（So many questions lately, sorry. Saturday I go on holiday!）

A gatecrasher is a person who turns up uninvited at a party or function.

汉语说：不速之客

速： speed
不速之客: no speed guest = gatecrasher ??

**Tags:** meaning-in-context


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-01-10. Score: 4

多功能成语词典 explains:

> 解释 速:邀请｡指未经邀请而突然自己来的客人｡

and also gives the note:

> 提示 “速"不要解释成“速度"或“迅速"｡

*A Student's Dictionary of Classical and Medieval Chinese* also notes that 速 has the meanings

> 2 lead to, induce to; beckon toward; invite.

**汉语大词典** also notes this meaning, with many examples

> 5 召, 请。
>
> 《诗·小雅·伐木》
> 既有肥羜, 以速諸父。
>
> 郑玄 笺
> 速, 召也。
>
> 《文选·张衡〈思玄赋〉》
> 速燭龍令執炬兮, 過 鍾山 而中休。
>
> 旧注
> 速, 徵也。
>
> 清 顾禄 《清嘉录·冬至大如年》
> 是夜, 人家更速燕飲, 謂之節酒。
>
> 杨树达 《〈凌虚岛〉小说序》
> 近者得君札, 速余序君書。

It’s not that 速 came to mean *invite* - but rather that it meant this as early as *I Ching*, which came out roughly 1100 BC - over three thousand years ago:

> 《周易·需》:“有不速之客三人来｡"

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Amazing! Thank you very much! 叩头叩头！ 诗经我有：代木许许，酾酒有冀，既有肥羜，以速诸父。 Now I want to buy that dictionary: The Students Dictionary of Medieval and Classical Chinese.  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Yeah, it's a helpful resource - it also comes with middle Chinese pronunciations (速 is suwk, for instance). MoE also has a dictionary of idioms, this should be the link for 不速之客 http://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cydic/gsweb.cgi?ccd=rMgSHi&o=e0&sec=sec1&op=v&view=0-1&fmt=11# but it's quite difficult to navigate, there is a Pleco converted dictionary here: https://plecoforums.com/threads/taiwan-ministry-of-educations-dictionary-of-chinese-idioms.5605/#post-42540 that's a lot easier to use.  
> **username_0**: Can you supply the ISBN?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 ISBN13: 9789004324787 but it looks like a paper copy will set you back $239.00. Digital version is much cheaper ($39.99 in Pleco).  

---

