<p>So far, the earliest version of <em>Tao Te Ching</em> found is on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guodian_Chu_Slips" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><em>Guodian Chu Bamboo Slips</em></a>, written in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Warring States</a> era <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_(state)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">State of Chu</a>.</p>

<p>From 楚簡書法网 (<a href="http://www.cjsfw.net/Html/?287.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cjsfw.net/Html/?287.html</a>, <a href="http://www.cjsfw.net/Html/?283.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cjsfw.net/Html/?283.html</a>):</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/DHAHu.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/DHAHu.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>The text is given in verses, beginning with an 8-character rhythm, and the punctuation marks are found on the bottom right of the terminal character for the verse, as a verse breaker. The punctuation does not strictly correspond to a full stop or comma of today.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-25T12:53:52.550Z
Do these punctuation marks have a name?
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-25T22:53:03.587Z
@user3306356 http://wap.cnki.net/lunwen-1015336765.html looks like there are several types - I didn't scan through too many Chu bamboo slips to see the others.
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-25T23:01:57.523Z
A correct, generic term for these punctuation marks is「句讀」
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-26T14:35:10.587Z
@droooze, i think that "句讀" is the "technique" to mark the pause and stop. these marks, it might be treated as "點" (圓的叫圈，頓的叫點) as in "圈點" http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000103428
水巷孑蠻
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-26T14:58:25.850Z
@水巷孑蠻 sorry, I mean 句讀號 :) the thesis above says 郭店楚簡 shows four kinds of different shapes of punctuation, 小短横句讀號、墨丁句讀號、鈎識句讀號和長墨塊句讀
dROOOze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-25T10:31:00.723Z
2019-10-26T05:49:34.627Z
2019-10-26T05:49:34.627Z
dROOOze
<p>When you look at the Chinese versions of the Tao Te Ching online (<a href="https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>, <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Tao_Te_Ching" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>, and elsewhere), there are periods (。), commas, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation marks!</p>

<pre><code>道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。故常無欲，以觀其妙；常有欲，以觀其徼。此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。玄之又玄，衆妙之門。
</code></pre>

<p>There were no <em>commas</em> back then! What is this! :)</p>

<p>I am wondering what an "original" version of the Tao Te Ching would look like. The oldest versions. Did they completely lack punctuation? Did each poem have titles like these versions do, or were the titles added later? Were the poems/verses structured in any particular way, or was it just one big wall of text? Or was it like the <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Tao_Te_Ching" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia version</a>?</p>

<p>BTW, it would be interesting to know where I could find a primary source / reference to demonstrate the "original form", like if it's on a digital archive at a museum or something online.</p>

<writing><punctuation>
What did the original Tao Te Ching use for punctuation?
# What did the original Tao Te Ching use for punctuation?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-10-25)

When you look at the Chinese versions of the Tao Te Ching online ([here](https://ctext.org/dao-de-jing), [here](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Tao_Te_Ching), and elsewhere), there are periods (。), commas, semicolons, question marks, and exclamation marks!

```
道可道，非常道。名可名，非常名。無名天地之始；有名萬物之母。故常無欲，以觀其妙；常有欲，以觀其徼。此兩者，同出而異名，同謂之玄。玄之又玄，衆妙之門。

```

There were no *commas* back then! What is this! :)

I am wondering what an "original" version of the Tao Te Ching would look like. The oldest versions. Did they completely lack punctuation? Did each poem have titles like these versions do, or were the titles added later? Were the poems/verses structured in any particular way, or was it just one big wall of text? Or was it like the [Wikipedia version](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Tao_Te_Ching)?

BTW, it would be interesting to know where I could find a primary source / reference to demonstrate the "original form", like if it's on a digital archive at a museum or something online.

**Tags:** writing, punctuation


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-10-25. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

So far, the earliest version of *Tao Te Ching* found is on the [*Guodian Chu Bamboo Slips*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guodian_Chu_Slips), written in the [Warring States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warring_States_period) era [State of Chu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu_(state)).

From 楚簡書法网 (<http://www.cjsfw.net/Html/?287.html>, <http://www.cjsfw.net/Html/?283.html>):

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/DHAHu.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/DHAHu.png)

The text is given in verses, beginning with an 8-character rhythm, and the punctuation marks are found on the bottom right of the terminal character for the verse, as a verse breaker. The punctuation does not strictly correspond to a full stop or comma of today.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Do these punctuation marks have a name?  
> **username_1**: @user3306356 http://wap.cnki.net/lunwen-1015336765.html looks like there are several types - I didn't scan through too many Chu bamboo slips to see the others.  
> **username_1**: A correct, generic term for these punctuation marks is「句讀」  
> **username_3**: @username_1, i think that "句讀" is the "technique" to mark the pause and stop. these marks, it might be treated as "點" (圓的叫圈，頓的叫點) as in "圈點" http://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/cgi-bin/cbdic/gsweb.cgi?o=dcbdic&searchid=Z00000103428  
> **username_1**: @username_3 sorry, I mean 句讀號 :) the thesis above says 郭店楚簡 shows four kinds of different shapes of punctuation, 小短横句讀號、墨丁句讀號、鈎識句讀號和長墨塊句讀  

---

