Abstract
Since Luo Zhen-yu （羅振玉） suggested that the character "mei" （妹） on Yin-xu oracle bones was either a place name or that it meant "dawn" (daybreak), scholars have accepted these interpretations. Based on a complete investigation of oracle bones inscriptions, this paper argues that the interpretation "dawn" is completely untenable, and that the interpretation "Place name" for the character "mei" is only possible in a minority of cases. In the vast majority of cases, the character "mei" on oracle bones is a negative particle whose pronunciation and meaning are closely related to that of the documented character "mie" （蔑）.
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