A Study on the “An” (按) Annotations in Shin Jak’s Si Chago : Focusing on the 160 Poems of the Guofeng Section

This study examines the annotation style and interpretive function of the “-An (按)” expressions found in Si Chago (詩次故), authored by Shin Jak (申綽, 1760-1828), a prominent Confucian scholar of late Joseon Korea. Si Chago is a comprehensive comment ary on the Book of Songs (Shijing, 詩經) that deliberately distances itself from the NeoConfucian orthodoxy of Zhu Xi, instead referencing over 300 sources from the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties to develop a philologically grounded interpretation. Focusing on 188 instances of “-An” expressions in the 160 poems of the Guofeng (國風) section, this study categorizes them into five stylistic forms—Jak-An (綽按), You-An (又按), Jak-Wei (綽謂), Jin-An (謹按), and An (按)—and further classifies their interpretive functions into six types: assertion, neutral explanation, elaboration, comparison/contrast, critique, and res ervation. Among these, Jak-An appears in 156 cases (83%), with “assertion” (61 cases), “neutral explanation” (56), and “elaboration” (24) as the most frequent functions. These fi ndings demonstrate Shin Jak’s critical and independent interpretive stance, as he carefully engaged with inherited commentaries while offering his own systematic insights. His ann otation strategy reflects a scholarly posture that moves beyond the authoritative boundarie s of Neo-Confucian hermeneutics, opening space for diverse perspectives and evidence-ba sed interpretation—hallmarks of the intellectual transformation in late Joseon Confucianis m.