【Abstract】The characters under the radical “金” and “木” in Shuowenjiezi and Xinhuazidian are taken as the research objects in the study. The research is focused on three aspects， including the importance of “金” and “木” in ancient Chinese culture， classification of the characters under radical “金” and “木” in the two dictionaries， changes and possible reasons occurred from Shuowenjiezi to Xinhuazidian.
　　【Key words】Shuowenjiezi; Xinhuazidian; 金 radical; 木 radical; ancient Chinese culture
　　【作者简介】Lu Ding-yi（1995-）， The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
　　1. Comparison of the radicals in different aspects
　　1.1 “金” and “木” in 五行
　　Gold and wood are both important substances that exist in nature. There was a saying goes， “金能克木，木多金缺;木弱逢金，必为砍折”. This saying basically means that metal element can reduce and balance wood element. For example， cutting tools made of metal can saw trees. Moreover， the land with mines is not grassy.
　　1.2 “金”and “木” in instruments
　　In the Zhou Dynasty， China already had a classification method of musical instruments based on their different production materials， which were divided into eight categories， including gold， stone， silk， bamboo， gourd， pottery clay， leather， and wood. These eight materials are also known as “eight sounds”. For more than three thousand years from the end of Zhou Dynasty to the beginning of the Qing Dynasty， China has been using the “eight sounds” classification.
　　As stated in Shuowenjiezi， “金，鐘镈也”， which means that characters pertain to the musical instruments made of metal will be under the gold radical， such as “钟” （bells）， which prevailed during the Bronze Era. In ancient times， the bell was not only a musical instrument， but also a ceremonial symbol of status and power. In the various ceremonies or banquets， carillon music was extensively played for the nobles. The front drum and side drum of the bell can produce two frequency sounds. These two sounds are generally three-degree pitch intervals. There are also “錞”， etc.，， which are basically deformations of the “钟”.
　　As stated in shuowenjiezi， “木，柷敔也”， which means that characters pertain to the musical instruments made of wood will be under the wood radical， such as “柷”. “柷” is an ancient percussion instrument， which was shaped like a square wooden box. Hitting its inner wall with a wood stick to make a sound indicates that the court sacred music is about to start. However， some characters pertain to musical instruments made of wood are not under the wood radical. For example， the ancient percussion instrument “敔”， which was shaped like an tiger and used for end of the court sacred music， is not under the wood radical.