The Kinship Terms Of The Biographies Of Heroes And Heroines

An important cultural heritage, appellation of kinsfolk can reflect the information of how a traditional Chinese family is hierarchically structured and even show the specific social history and custom of the nation. Hence it is a popular study topic for linguistics, folklores as well as ethnonymics. Here the author choose the appellation of kinsfolk of The Biographies of Heroes and Heroines, one 19th century noted novel by the Manzu author Wenkang, as object of study of the paper. The dissertation made a systematical description and comprehensive analysis, from both static and dynamic perspective, upon and with the purpose of presenting the systematic framework for the linguistically impressive work, through combination the knowledge of linguistics with the methodology of diachronic, synchronic, synthesize and description.All of appellation appeared in the work were described completely in the second chapter of dissertation. Besides, a detailed rheologic study on each appellation was conducted based on those in original novel. However, the author just did a simple description and analysis on those common and little-changed appellations and vice versa. The characteristics of these appellations were classified by conducted a diachronic contrast and comparison between that of in ancient and modern times in the third chapter. Thus the author holds that there is little change in the development of appellation since ancient times with the exception of some particular ones in the work. Interestingly some female exclusive appellation appeared in the novel not just enhanced and standardized the system yet reflected women's social and family status then as well. And the forth part mainly probed into the connotations of nation culture bear in the appellation as basic vocabulary. The Han and Manchu people mutually integrated and mixed part of their languages and custom in the long process of history, which is conducive to study on cultural features of two ethnic groups from the perspective of appellation of kinsfolk.Finally, the dissertation also made unremitting efforts to track, improve and correct the inaccuracy of appellations of kinsfolk for the above novel recorded in Great Chinese Dictionary--the most reasonable and authoritative one in terms of vocabulary, phonetic notation, definition or paraphrase as well as documented evidence.