“家贼”源流辨考——兼为辞书相关条目订补

An Annotation on the Origin and Development of Jiazei(家贼)

"家贼"本义并非家中窃贼或内奸,而是古代卿大夫之私"家"豢养的杀手和刺客,这与"贼"指杀害和杀人者的本义有关。后世"贼"义变为窃贼和坏人,"家"义变为一般家庭和内部,这才有了现代意义上的"家贼"以及成语"家贼难防"。"家贼"在禅宗语言文化中也产生出一项新义:喻指人身内部扰乱心志、劫杀善性的诸种感官欲求与邪念,即所谓"六根";而"家贼难防"也由此产生了新的义项。《汉语大词典》的释义既有错误且不全面。

From its original meanings,jiazei(家贼)was not the thief of family or the hidden traitor but the murderer and the assassin supported by high ministers' private family in ancient times,which has something to do with its original meanings 'to kill' and 'killer'of the word zei(贼).Later,zei'(贼)changed into meaning 'thief and evildoer',while jia(家) meaning 'family and inside',which took shape jiazei(家贼)and the idiom of jia zei nan fang(家贼难防)in modern meanings.A new meaning of jiazei(家贼)in Buddhist culture also appeared expressing metaphorically lots of lusts of sense organs and wicked ideas disturbing one's mind and robbing one's kindness which were called liugen(六根).And a new meaning of jia zei nan fang(家贼难防)came into being accordingly.The explanation in A chinese Grand Dictionary is not only wrong but also incomplete.