A Study Of The Function Words Of The Inscriptions On The Bronze Of The West Zhou Dynasty

Mr. Li Xueqin, a noted scholar of ancient writings has said: "The predecessor attached importance to the textual research on the names of men and places and the textual exegesis of ancient words when they did textual research on inscriptions on bronze. But they always neglected the analysis on the structure and grammar of the sentence, especially the function words. It leads to the explanation mistakes and meaning confusion, which will adversely affect the study of the inscriptions on bronze." In the thesis, we make comprehensive investigation and analysis on the inscriptions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty, and summarize the function and usage of the function words of the inscriptions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty.In the thesis, the function words include the adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, auxiliary words and exclamations. Chinese traditional linguistics, including some classic works on ancient function words, considered pronouns as function words. So the function words we study in the thesis include the pronouns. This is only for the traditional custom.The thesis comprises two parts. In the first parts, we elaborate the importance of the function words of the inscriptions on bronze when we do research on the inscriptions on the bronze, then review and summarize the past and the present condition of the study on the function words of the inscriptions on bronze. Then we give priority to the elaboration on the functions and usage of every kind of function words of the West Zhou Dynasty inscriptions. In the second part, we analyze andsum up every single function word of the inscriptions on bronze on its specific meaning and usage.In the introduction of the fist part, we analyze in detail the meaning and grammatical character of every kind of function words and sum up their function in the whole language system. We investigate the function words on their function and grammatical character in four aspects. Firstly, we investigate the relationships between one kind of function words and the others, to find out the function and the grammatical character of this kind of function words in the whole language system. For example, the function word Ji {Ik.) is a conjunction. At the same time it is also a preposition. As a conjunction, no embellished word appears before or after the function word Ji (R). As a preposition, the function word Ji (2￡) can be embellished by adverbs before it. For another example, both mood adverbs and mood auxiliary words can be used to express some kind of mood. The mood adverbs can be used as an adverbial modifier in a sentence, while moos auxiliary words have no relationship of sentence structure with any other words in a sentence. Secondly, we investigate the function and meaning of specific function words which belongs to the system of one kind of function words. For example, conjunctions include phrase conjunctions and clause conjunctions. The phrase conjunctions can only be used to connect words or phrases to form another phrases, and clause conjunctions can only be used to connect two or more clauses to form a compound sentence. For another example, some phrase conjunctions such as Ji (j￡.) N Ta (^ K Yu ( ^f) N Yu (^) can only be used to connect substantive composition. Some phrase conjunctions such as You (J￡K Yi (IU) can be used to connect both substantive composition and predicate composition. Thirdly, we investigate the use frequency of the function words in the language and study the status and function of some function words. For example, Wu (^), Zhen ($K Yu (&) and I (He) are all first personal pronouns. Zhen (I￡K Yu (^) and I (?￡) are widely used in the inscriptions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty, while Wu (iaO has only been used three times in the inscriptions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty, and in the same bronze object ShenZiYeGui (tt-JHilJiO- So we can conclude that the first personal pronouns Wu (-q-) is not a basic personal pronoun word in the inscrip-tions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty. The first personal pronouns Wu (H) is widely used in the inscriptions on bronze of the East Zhou Dynasty. At the same time, the first personal pronoun Wu (^a") can help us determine the age of the bronze object ShenZiYeGui (tt^'tfc^). The age when the bronze object Shen-ZiYeGui (￡fc"?"tilJ§:) was made is about the late of the West Zhou Dynasty, not the early or mid of the West Zhou Dynasty. Last, we compare the function words of the inscriptions on the bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty with the function words of the ancient classic documents to find out the change and evolution of a function word. For example, the function word WuHu {%^) which appeared in the West Zhou Dynasty for the first time was written in the different form R^tPpN A^n P4n, 5Hs nm, n$, etc.In the second part of the thesis, we analyze every function word of the inscriptions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty on its meaning and usage when it is used in some specific sentence of the inscriptions, and then summarize its meaning and grammatical function in different context.In the first part, we investigate every kind of function words. In the second part, we investigate every single function word. In the first part, we make a macro examination on the function words of the inscriptions on bronze. And In the second part, we make a micro examination on the function words of the inscriptions on bronze. The second part can be considered as a dictionary of function words of the inscriptions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty. The first part is the summary of the meaning and function of the function words. In one word, we make a study on the function words of the inscriptions on bronze of the West Zhou Dynasty from two different angles. The two parts are relative independence and interdependence.It is the essential points and main composition of the thesis. Perhaps there are many mistakes in the thesis for my limited knowledge. So I earnestly request the scholars to point out and correct the mistakes, helping me improving my knowledge and achievement.