Rhyme In The Book Of Songs And Related Problems

The Book of Songs is an essential component in the reaserch of ancient Chinese phonology. Systematic statistical analysis of the rhymes in the "Book of Songs" can help us summarize the types and rules for rhyme contained therein. Analysis allows determination of rhyme classes during the "Book of Songs" period and reconstruction of sound values for the rhyme classes. One of the major problems in past phonological analysis was that rhyming theory was understood differently by different scholars. Study of the rhyme contained in the Book of Songs is the first step in starting a discussion about the nature of rhyme. It is also an important step. Statistical analysis allows common ground for analysis of the Book of Songs that does not depend on interpretation of meaning by the researching scholar. Finally, research on the rhyme of "Book of Songs" can provide a solid evidence on which solutions for long-standing contentious issues within the field of ancient Chinese phonology can be based. Major issues include:classification of rhyme based on number of vowels and vowel construction, whether or not the Yinsheng has a coda, and how many tones were used in OC and how they were expressed (sounded).This thesis analyzes rhyme from the "book of songs" using traditional and modern statistical methods. The kinds of rhyme in the book of songs are analyzed with special focus on several aspects of rhyme.. The six aspects of primary focus are as follows:1. Book of Songs rhythm.Analysis of rhyme in the books:Kong Guangsen’s "Shisheng Fenlei", Wang Li’s "Shijing Yundu" and Wang Xian’s "Shijing Yunpu". Analysis of these works suggested some parts of Wang Li’s "Shijing Yundu" were in need of revision. Revisions were in the areas of classification types and classification standards and classifications.2. Book of Songs Tongyun and Heyun. All the cases of Tongyun and Heyun listed in Wang Li’s "Shijing Yundu" were analyzed, The conditions underlying Tongyun and Heyun were investigated. It was found that that syllable tail harmony is the essential condition of Tongyun and Heyun. 3. Rhyming essentials. The similarities and differences of "rhyme" in "rhyming" and in "phonology" were analyzed. Many cases of rhyme in poem were observed. Poems including ancient, modern, Chinese, and foreign were used to determine that the harmony of rhyme is derived speech perception system specific to each society. It was further shown that the nature of rhyme is "harmony" of syllable tail characteristics and that rhyme is the basis of "yun"(rhyme) in the field of phonology. Syllable tail characteristics reflect the changes of a particular phonological system and are the key to the study of ancient Chinese rhyme.4.Problems related to ancient Chinese rhyme sound construction. Two problems arise in relation to ancient Chinese vowels. The first is whether a rhyme class can have more than one vowel. Through analysis of the nature of rhyme and the interpretation of the Book of Songs rhyme data as well as the rhyme system from Sino-Tibetan languages comparative study, it is shown that more than one vowel is indeed fundamental to sound construction and is not antagonistic to single vowel constructions. Second, the composition of sound in various constructions were analyzed. The sound composition used by several scholars was analyzed and the acceptance standard used for ancient Chinese sound composition is discussed.5. Ancient Chinese Yinsheng construction. A comparison between the Yinsheng and Rusheng rhyming pattern in the Book of Songs and the use of (?) in Tibetan literature. Use of rhyme in modern folk songs and the harmony of rhyme between elements were also taken into consideration. It is argued that syllables ending with vowel can rhyme with the syllables ending with stop coda. Therefore, there is no need to reconstruct a stop coda for Yinsheng rhyme groups.6. Ancient Chinese tones. A commentary is made about which of three theories had the greatest influence on the origin and development ancient Chinese tones: initial sound characteristic transfer, the length of the vowels and their elasticity, consonants coda dissapearance. Statistical analysis of the Book of Songs rhyme material is used to reconstructed the tones of the period of the Book of Songs as well as to deduce the the evolution of ancient Chinese tones.The innovations included in this thesis are as follows:1.Combine traditional with modern statistical methods for rhyme analysis. Combined rhyme segment statistics with the rhyme periodization. Systematically analyze the rhyme of the "book of songs" in stages;2. Discuss the nature of rhyme according to analysis of past theoretical assumptions and show these past assumption that "words that rhyme must have the same rhyming radical" are inappropriate. To facilitate this discussion, inspection is made of rhyme in poetry of ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign.3. Based on rhyme from of the Book of Songs and comparison with Sino-Tibetan, the feasibility of "multi-vowel" construction is discussed.;4. The assertion is made that examination of ancient Chinese vowel construction should have relative periodization. Determination of the importance of each of piece is specific to the periodization of that piece.5. The problem of the origin and development of ancient Chinese tones is discussed. The basis for tones is distinguished from the conditions under which ancient Chinese tones evolved Special consideration is given to the source of ancient Chinese’s Shangsheng and Qusheng.Significance of the study lies in the following:Statistical analysis of the Book of Songs rhyme provides examples in support of theory that can help to grasp the nature of poetry rhyme. Further, a new means is uncovered to solve long-term controversial issues in ancient Chinese studies such as vowel number, rhyme construction, Yinsheng coda, ancient Chinese tones.