Qing Dynasty "six" Research

This paper is divided into six parts.Part I is the introduction or the source of selection of the topic. The study of Liushu (Six categories of Chinese characters) reached the peak in Qing Dynasty. Most scholars of History of Linguistics have discussed literatures on Liushu Theory of the times, but most of them were brief and lacked profound exploration and research, let alone inheriting and exceeding of relevant study of Qing Dynasty in Song to Ming Dynasties from the viewpoint of history. Overall collection of literatures on Liushu Theory in Qing Dynasty, deep study of the theory, summarization of theoretical essences, and summing of the principles of Liushu play an important role in correct understanding of the structure and natures and analysis of Chinese characters.Part II is the development background of Liushu Theory in Qing Dynasty. In the first part, the paper summarizes the studies of Liushu Theory of scholars before Qing Dynasty. The competition of "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" (an Analytical Dictionary of Characters) by Xu Shen was a sign of establishment of Liushu Theory. Since the Six Dynasties of Han and Wei, the study of Liushu Theory has emerged, especially the arrangement of "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" (an Analytical Dictionary of Characters) made by Li Yangbing from Tang Dynasty and Xu brothers Xu Xuan and Xu Kai between Southern Tang Dynasty to the beginning of Song Dynasty opened a way for the study of Liushu Theory in the later times. The period of Song to Ming Dynasties was the reform time in the history of Chinese philology, lots of scholars got rid of old bounds, discarded stereotypes and created new ideas. The greatest characteristic of literature study in the period was the formation of Liushu Theory which owns a relatively strong influence in Chinese philology history, it became a trend and formed a comprehensively thriving situation. The second part is the time background of development of the Liushu Theory in Qing Dynasty which was closely connected with the change of academic trend of the time, political changes, development of economy and culture and strong research team.Part III overviews and arranges atically the literature catalogues on Liushu Theory in Qing Dynasty. Part IV is the general remarks of Liushu Theory. Firstly is the order of Liushu Theory. The scholars of Qing Dynasty have been arguing on it, most of them thought "pictographic characters" and "self-explanatory characters" were the first stage of character development, based on which two factions of Zunban and Zunxu emerged. Secondly are the word-formation and word-usage methods of Liushu Theory. Zhao Huiqian who was from Ming Dynasty was the first one advancing the discourse of the "word-formation and word-usage" methods but without explicit concept of it. Later, many scholars in Qing Dynasty supported his opinion, thereinto Wan Guangtai definitely advanced:"In the Liushu Theory, four are word-formation methods and the other two are word-usage methods which are closely connected to the word-formation methods." Since Wan Guangtai was older than Daizhen, so we think he put forward this theory before Daizhen. Many scholars further explained it on the basis of Wan Guangtai's poinion. But there were also some scholars including Xu Zongyan, Weiyuan, Huang Yizhou, etc. who opposed the theory of "four word-formation methods and two word-usage methods", and thought "mutually explanatory characters and phonetic loan characters" were also one of word-formation methods. After that the paper discusses Jianshu (combination of two word-formation methods) Theory. The scholar from Qing Dynasty Song Yuanming developed it on the basis of Jianshu Theory, but his research went to the extreme. On the other hand, the Jianshu Thoery in Qing Dynasty had already gone to the extreme and led to discussions by many scholars. In the end, the paper discusses the utilization of ancient characters by scholars in Qing Dynasty. They paid great attention on the utilization of ancient characters during the study of Liushu, and Wang Jun was the representatives.Part V is the new ideas from Liushu. In this age, scholars had new opinions on "Liushu", of which the focus is the argument of mutually explanation of characters and phonetic loan of characters. The theory of mutually explanation of characters was developed into the proposition of pronunciation, the proposition of meaning, the proposition of radicals, the proposition of grapheme, and the proposition of combination of pronunciation and meaning. The theory of phonetic loan of characters in the age had the proposition of extension interchangeability of characters, including interchangeability of meaning and interchangeability of pronunciation.Part VI is the overall evaluation of the study of Liushu in Qing Dynasty. This part consists of four contents:first, achievements of scholars on Liushu Theory in Qing Dynasty. The Liushu Theory in Qing Dynasty has insightful ideas on combination of grapheme, pronunciation and meaning, the proposition of word-formation and word-usage methods, Jianshu Theory, the proposition of "ideographical phonetic symbol", the theory of phonetic loan of characters, the theory of mutually explanation of characters, etc. Second, the heritage of Qing Dynasty study on the studies of Liushu in Song to Ming Dynasties. The study of Liushu made by scholars in Qing Dynasty was not water without a source. Many of their works have referred to the opinions and materials in literatures of Song to Ming Dynasties, more or less, deliberately or not. Third, the Liushu Theory of Qing Dynasty has made deep influences on the later generations on the theory of word-formation and word-usage, breakthrough of Shuowen Xiaozhuan (a style of calligraphy, adopted in the Qin Dynasty) exploration of word-formation, drive of the development of modern philology, etc. aspects. Four, the deficiencies of the Liushu Theory of Qing Dynasty were serious revivalism trend, inordinate stress of textual research, and weakness of grapheme study.