Tso is composed of the old form for 手 shou hand as radical, over 工 kung labour, its modern radical, and means the left hand, calling to mind the discredited position of the left hand among Hindus and other eastern nations. The left is now the place of honour in China, but in ancient times the right; hence left is found in literature with such senses as wrong, heterodox, etc. Here it stands for the surname of 左邱明 Tso-ch'iu Ming, the most important of the three commentators and a reputed disciple of Confucius. His commentary is of infinitely more value, from every point of view, than the original text, and is popularly known as the Tso Chuan.