——Exploring the connections between Henan dialects and Classical Chinese through the everyday expression “光着身子” (being naked)

In some parts of Henan, people use “裼吧肚” to describe someone who is unclothed or naked. This is an everyday colloquial expression. Spoken aloud, it is familiar local speech, but writing it down brings you face to face with a rare character—“裼”.

On 2026-7-25, a short article on the Puyang dialect published by Dapu.com recorded the expression “裼［xi］吧肚” (being bare or unclothed). An earlier article on the Anyang dialect mentioned “裼肚” (baring the belly) and “裼脊梁” (baring the back), and used “裼肚儿” in a simulated conversation recalling companions who grew up together. The available material associates the full expression “裼吧肚” with Puyang and several similar expressions with Anyang. They all relate to exposing the body; whether they specifically mean being completely naked or bare-chested depends on local usage.^{〔1〕〔2〕}

“裼” can be pronounced here, according to the dictionary, as xī. It is a phono-semantic compound character, with 衣 (clothing) indicating meaning and 易 indicating sound. Shuowen Jiezi explains it with “袒” (to bare), and modern character dictionaries define this sense as removing one's upper garment and exposing part of the body. “裼” also has the pronunciation tì , in which case it refers to a baby's swaddling blanket. As for how the three syllables of “裼吧肚” are pronounced in different counties and villages, we still need to listen to local speakers.^〔3〕

Looking further back, the line “襢裼暴虎，献于公所” already appears in 《诗经·郑风·大叔于田》 (The Book of Songs, Airs of Zheng, “The Younger Uncle Goes Hunting”). Here, “襢裼” means removing one’s clothing and baring the body; the whole line describes a hunter baring his body to wrestle a tiger with his bare hands, then presenting the prey to his lord. The character “裼” was also used in ancient dress etiquette: “裼袭” in 《礼记》 (The Book of Rites) concerns displaying and covering clothing. When reading this character, its context must be considered.^{〔4〕〔5〕}

From the Book of Songs to local speech in Henan, the character “裼” offers a thread connected to baring the body. Ancient texts can help us understand its older meanings, but determining when “裼吧肚” became a complete expression will require earlier local documents or dialect records.

The last two characters of this expression also deserve a closer look. For now, the middle character, “吧”, can be regarded as a way of recording its spoken sound. The available material says very little about how it is pronounced locally or what role it plays in the expression.

There is a specific clue concerning the final character “肚” (belly). The short article on Dapu.com notes that some expressions written as “光肚” in the Puyang dialect actually mean having a bare bottom. Character dictionaries happen to contain a character pronounced dū , namely “㞘”, which means “buttocks”. Therefore, “㞘” can be considered a candidate for the final character in “裼吧肚”. Whether it corresponds to local speech still requires checking tones and actual usage examples; this article retains “裼吧肚”, which is already documented in folk records.^{〔1〕〔6〕}

In everyday conversation, “裼吧肚” describes what someone looks like without clothes on. The following three sentences were composed using this meaning, respectively as a reminder, a description, and a recollection.

• “快把衣裳穿上，别裼吧肚地站着。” (“Hurry up and put your clothes on; don't stand there naked.”) A family member urges someone to get dressed.
• “他正换衣裳，裼吧肚地在屋里找干净衣服呢。” (“He’s changing, looking around the room for clean clothes with his body bare.”) This describes being bare-bodied while changing clothes.
• “俺小时候还裼吧肚地满屋跑哩。” (“When I was little, I used to run all around the house naked.”) The tone is one of childhood reminiscence, with a touch of humor.

The expression “裼肚儿” (baring one's belly) in the Anyang article's recollection of a childhood friend is especially revealing of the flavor dialect brings to dialogue. The speaker was describing how the two had known each other since childhood, casually evoking a scene from those early years.^〔2〕

If a recording of local speakers can be added later, together with the county and township, the speaker’s age, and the complete sentence, it will help distinguish the final syllable’s tone and establish what “裼吧肚”, “裼肚儿,” and “裼脊梁” mean in different places—expressions concerning a bare belly or back.

References

1. Dapu.com, 《Baring My Belly Wasn't My Intention; My Intention Was My Butt》
2. Chang Shu's Travels, “Cultural Heritage in the Anyang Dialect”
3. Handian's entry for “裼”, including the explanation from Shuowen Jiezi
4. Original Text and Annotations of 《诗经·郑风·大叔于田》 (The Book of Songs · Airs of Zheng · The Eldest Son Goes Hunting)
5. Peng Lin, Questions Concerning the Zhou-Dynasty Ritual of 裼袭 (Baring and Covering the Outer Robe)
6. Hanzi Dictionary entry for “㞘”, including a quotation from the Jiyun