Confucius was sitting by one of the Chi-sun family.

Confucius was sitting by one of the Chi-sun family. The Chi-sun's minister T’ung said, "If the prince should send someone to borrow a horse, should it be given him?"

Confucius said, "I have heard that when a prince takes a thing from his subject, it is termed ‘taking'; one does not speak of ‘borrowing.' "

The Chi-sun understood and said to the minister T’ung, "From now on when your prince takes a thing, call it taking. Do not speak of borrowing."

Confucius rectified the expression "borrowing a horse," and as a result the proper relation between prince and subject was established.

The Lun yü says, "What is necessary is to rectify names." The Ode says,

The prince should not lightly utter his words.

孔子侍坐于季孙。季孙之宰通曰：“君使人假马，其与之乎？”孔子曰：“吾闻君取于臣，谓之取，不曰假。”季孙悟，告宰通曰：“今以往，君有取，谓之取，无曰假。”孔子曰正假马之言，而君臣之义定矣。《论语》曰：“必也正名乎！”《诗》曰：“君子无易由言。”

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