Annotations On The Word Of Dunhuang Divination

Of all the Dunhuang literatures, the divination documents refer to those books of augury preserved in the Dunhuang Library Cave, including divination, interpretation of climate, oneiromancy, physiognomy, selection, fortune-telling and other kinds of augury. There are more than 300 pieces of documents. Although, accouting to the enormous quantity of all the Dunhuang literature, the figure is not too much, the 300 pieces of documents whose value cannot be ignored fill the gaps in the history of Numerology in mediaeval times. Of all the importance, The divination documents needs precise textual research and intensive lexicology study.Before 2000, these materials have never been conducted a comprehensive literature review. Today, studies on Dunhuang divination documents appear to be relatively more deficient than other areas of the Dunhuang Research. The study of all aspects of these materials is very uneven, the research of Numerology is more mature, while philology study is not enough. There is only philology study on physiognomy, oneiromancy, selection of residence and tomb site, Wuzhao divination, fortune-telling books, but other categories of divination documents still need further research and study in philology. In addition to sporadic illustration of words in books of those philology studies mentioned above, lexicology study of Dunhuang divination documents is rarely seen. Careless omissions in philology study of Dunhuang divination documents are often caused by unrecognized handwritings and uncomprehending words and expressions. Therefore, an intensive lexicology study of Dunhuang divination documents, especially the illustration of knotty and baffling words is worthy of studying.The article is divided into three parts, including introduction, collation and annotation, and interpretation of words. There are published textual research of selection of residence and tomb site, oneiromancy, physiognomy, fortune-telling and Wuzhao. The doctorate dissertation ’the research in the Dunhuang Divining Documents’ of Wang Aihe offers a general textual research of Dunhuang Divination documents besides physiognomy, oneiromancy and selection of residence and tomb site. The predecessors endure great hardships in pioneer work while careless omissions in philology study of Dunhuang divination documents are inevitable due to the lacking of clear display of Dunhuang manuscripts. Compared published textual research of Dunhuang divination documents with photographs of Dunhuang manuscripts, omissions and mistakes in philology study can be remedied and rectified. There is more work to do in research of lexicology study on account of less previous study in this field. The illustration of knotty and baffling words and heterography will be studied in the second part of the article.