Studies On The Chongyun

The majority of scholars pay their attention mainly to the reconstruction of chongyun(重韵),while there are very few specialized studies on the origin and characteristics of chongyun phenomenon.However,from the few discussion already existed,we know there are very difference views on the understanding of chongyun phenomenon.Related to this is that the different understanding of chongyun phenomenon often leads to different perceptions to Qieyun(《切韵》) phonology. Therefore,deeper studies of chongyun's origin and characteristics will undoubtedly be significant to the understanding of Qieyun phonology as well as to the historical study of Chinese phonology.In view of this,this article carries out a full discussion about the issues of the chongyun,and the author attempts to give a reasonable interpretation about the whole picture of chongyun phenomenon.This article holds the opinion that so far as the Qieyun phonology is concerned, the division among the rhyme categories of chongyun results from a practical phonetic difference instead of a phenomenon of absolute recurrence.As long as a contemporary specific dialectal region(the South or the North) is concerned,there is indeed a recurrence of certain rhyme categories in the Qieyun phonology,which resulted from the principle of "according to the difference,not the convergence" on which Yah Zhitui(颜之推)and other authors dealt with some difference rhyme categories between the southern dialect and the northern one.The rhyme tables(韵图) put the rhyme categories of chongyun into the same position,which tells the truth that they were converged in the late middle Chinese.The academic circle usually defines chongyun with such late terms as she(摄),grade(等),kaihe(开合),which tends to give others a misleading idea that those phonetic features already existed in Qieyun which contradicts the fact of phonetic development.In fact,the issue of chongyun is none but a concept on historical phonology.A historical and objective perspective should be applied to the phenomenon of chongyun.This article consists of the preface,the main part,and the conclusion.Five chapters are included in the main part.Chapter1 briefly introduces the definition of chongyun,its classification,and current situation of researches on it.Chapter2 mainly discusses chongyun's reflection in the various types of middle Chinese materials. Meanwhile,this chapter also discusses the distribution of chongyun in Old Chinese, and the phonetic difference reflected in modern Chinese dialects.Chapter3 mainly analyses the reasons of chongyun phenomenon from the different aspects,such as the production of Qieyun,the arrangements of rhyme tables,and the source of the phonology of rhyme tables.It also discusses about the focus of chongyun studies and its relationship to the widely accepted modern paradigm of historical phonology. Chapter4 introduces three examples in which chongyun is used as a criteria to explain the historical development of dialects.Also conducts in this chapter is a review on the relationship between the modern dialects and the Jiangdong(江东) dialect of middle Chinese.Chapter5 makes a brief review on the detailed process and the rules of chongyun's historical evolution,our advice on this issue is given as well.