A Study On Shuowen Gu Zhou Bu

In the history of the studies of the ancient Chinese characters, Wu Dacheng, a researcher in Qing Dynasty, played an important role. His masterpiece Shuowen GuZhou Bu represented the high level of the study of the ancient Chinese characters in his time. A comprehensive and systematic study of his work has great practical and theoretical significance.This paper deals with the practical and theoretical contribution and importance of his work Shuowen GuZhou Bu. It consists of 2 parts.Part 1 analyzes the practical and theoretical importance of his work. First, it gives a general review of his life and works.Second, it deals with the background of the writing of Shuowen GuZhou Bu. The work was published in Qing Dynasty when there was a revival of Epigraphy. So it's the product of the combination of traditional philology and ancient philology. And it also makes a brief introduction about the publication of Shuowen GuZhou Bu.Third, it gives a classified examination of the collections and explanations of ancient Chinese characters, and gets a new statistics. The inscriptions in the body part are classified into coin inscriptions, ancient archaeol inscriptions, ancient seal inscriptions, drum-stone inscriptions and the inscriptions on bronze. They are thoroughly examined and sorted out. The characters in the appendix are sorted out according to the periods before and of his time.Fourth, it evaluates the distinguishing feature of this works. And it analyzes the active contributions of this work which including six aspects, such as spirit of matter-of-fact attitude, the return of philology, being practical and realistic, the establishment of Chongwen systems and examples, a high level beyond the old guzhou view, the characteristics of noting; confirms the achievements in the textual criticism and explanation of interpretations of ancient Chinese writing, and some...