A Study On The Rhyme Of Epigraphy In Sui, Tang And Five Dynasties

Sui,tang and five dynasties are an important stage for Chinese phonetics developing. Cohort phonetic research of this period is also of great importance for understanding changes and establishing the history of Chinese phonetics. There are plenty of materials available for studies, ranging form rhyming materials of poetry and verses, rhyming dictionary and rhyme tables to zhiyinfanqie (直音反切), extraterritorial diaphone etc. In comparison with the above-mentioned materials, rhyming in epigraphic rhymes have special value. First of all, it has accurate carving time and unearthing place and its documents are highly authentic. Secondly, it’s freely rhymed, free from restrictions of Gongling (功令) and reflecting the actual conditions of spoken language. Thirdly, the works have a wide range of time and a large number of rhyme section, which can mirror the status of rhyme categories system. Previous scholars have made great achievements in related studies. Yet, disagreements can still be found among them due largely to objective situations and research means. Take if for example, research objects are mostly focused on specific regions or groups of poets, and the materials are particularly limited to classical documents, paying little attention to unearthed documents.The present dissertation has thoroughly collected10774epigraphy materials already in existence and has greatly added verse materials of this period. On such basis, the author has made careful corrections through comparing catalogue and referring to various recorded words to keep language materials as they are and specify rhyming patterns as well as judge rhyming words."Rhymic database used in epigraphy of sui, tang and five dynasties" has been built. Altogether,8980epigraphy can be used as the reference for rhyming exclusive of epigraphy without verses, verses without rhyme and incomplete verses. In addition,23637rhymic parts have also been excerpted. With traditional method in use, computer assistance is also employed to biaozhu electronic text of epigraphy, excerpt rhymic words, form rhymic part and editing rhymic lists. With the digital work platform as assistance and rhymes in epigraphy as research objects, the author has made classifications, summarizations and arrangements and presented as follows the characteristics of sui, tang, five dynasties in rhyme classifications.The evolution of rhyme categories in sui, tang and five dynasties can be divided into three stages like sui and early tang, prosperous middle tang and late tang-five dynasties.31rhymic system of the first period,26rhymic system of the second period and21rhymic of the third period show that phonology development tends to be gradually simple, but the mergers of rhyme groups were limited in the same rhyme class, and the pattern of matching yangsheng rhymes with rusheng rhymes has been maintained. It was till five dynasties that rhyming among different rhymes classes emerged, the combination and disintegration are mostly confined to tongshe;1. Rhymes in muzhiming have the following features. The character of Jia rhyme catepory fall into Ma-Xie catepory. And some labial initial characters in You-Hour fall into Yu-Mo catepory. Jing class fall into tong class in sui and early tang, fall into dang class from prosperous tang and middle tang. Yuan-Hun catepory divided into two parts:from prosperous tang and middle tang, Yuan rhyme fall into Shan class, Hun hen rhyme fall into Zhen class correspondingly.