The Traditional Research Of Old Chinese Initial System And Its Application In Gloss Study

Beginning with Dai Zhen’s "twenty chapter of sound shifting" (around the mid-17th century) and ending with the introduction of Historical Linguistics (around the early 19th century), the history of traditional study on Old Chinese (OC) initial system is brief. Accordingly, the present introductions of such history are somewhat insufficient. Dividing traditional OC initial researches into three categories:sound shifting study(声转研究),OC initial testification(古声纽考证),and Prime initial theory(古本纽假说),this paper discussed their emergence, derivation, or extinction. On the basis of collecting and analyzing "shifting words" from Fangyan Shuzheng(《方言疏证》),Shuowenjiezi zhu(《说文解字注》), Shi da( 《释 大》),Guangya Shuzheng《广雅疏证》,and Shiming Shuzheng Bu(《释名疏证补》),this paper also investigated the application of OC initial theories in gloss study.Apart from Introduction (chapter 1), the remaining 10 chapters are divided into 4 parts:Chapter 2-4 discussed the establishments of sound shifting study and OC initial testification by Dai Zhen and Qian Daxin respectively, and Zhang Taiyan’s amendments to the two theories. Chapter 5-8 discussed the application of OC initial theories in gloss study by integrating the "shifting words". Chapter 9-10 discussed the Prime Initial theory, and the developments of the other two theories. Chapter 11 summarized the motives of diversion of the OC initial theories.We find out, though the study, that the improvements of Sound Discrimination influenced the OC initial theories greatly. In this respect, Huang Kan’s( 黄侃)research steps carried great importance, that is establish Ancient Chinese phonology systems through the Thirty-six Letters, then recovery OC initials. We also learned that Qian Daxin’s theories have not been acknowledged by the Qing commentators as we might suspect, on the contrary, Dai Zhen’s Sound Shifting theory is accepted by Duan Yucai(段玉裁) and Wang Niansun(王念孙) with a few changes.