| This essay is aiming at providing a unique and brand new reference material for further research of interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Slips on the basis of the existing research results. A quantitative research is used to systematically organize the interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Slips. Besides, a detailed analysis from Chinese language history perspective is also provided.This essay consists of four chapters.The first chapter is introduction. The first is reason of why select the topic. One point is that those existing researches on the interchangeable content are limited to sampling organization without quantitative analyzing. Thus, further research should add frequency attribute to this kind of research, since the frequency attribute can deepen the understanding of the fact of interchangeable content. Another point is that those existing researches haven’t analyze the historical development and contemporaneous difference of the interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Slips. Thus it is more meaningful to the Chinese language history if the new research can fill up this vacancy.The second is the reason of material choice. Although the study material is limited to the Chu Bamboo Slips literature, it also involves other material because this essay is analyzing from the perspective of the history of Chinese language. Thus this essay provides a brief overview of interchangeable content in ancient documents and unearthed material of Warring State Period, Qin dynasty and Han dynasty, and existing research of ancient books.The third is the research significance. First point is that it introduces the relationship of words in the Chu Bamboo Slips. Second point is that it shows the internal diversity condition of words usage in the Chu Bamboo Slips. Third point is that it shows the inherit condition of words in the Chu Bamboo Slips, helping define the history of Chinese language. Fourth point is that it completes the quantity calculation of interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Slips literature. This result also involves a vacancy filling up of the same kind job. This result can help us understand the real position of interchangeable content in the Chu Bamboo Slips literature.At last is the introduction of research material (Guodian Bamboo Slips, Chu Slips at Shanghai Museuml-8) and research methods. First of all, we select and follow what is good from all kind of experts’opinions, based on the interpretation. Secondly, we don’t deny the cognitive value because of some exceptional doubtful point. During the process of organizing and analyzing, we cannot guarantee the interpretation is perfect although we try the best. Since the interpretation of Chu Bamboo Slips literature we choose is already mature enough, and the organizing of the interchangeable content based on this interpretation is correct, some individual error will not affect the cognitive value of the datum. We also should not stop the quantitative research of the interchangeable words because of some individual error. The research methods are frequency research, diachronic research, and digital operation.The second chapter draws different views of experts, in order to complete the systematically organization of interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Strips, forming a interchangeable words spectrum, which is based on the completion of The explanation of interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Slips (《楚简古书文献通假集释》)The spectrum is divided into borrowed words order and original words order. The reason of this setting is that interchange is a relationship of different words. It involves borrowed words and original words. Therefore, if the research of interchangeable words only relies on borrowed words or original words, it will generate dead zone. Under the borrowed words order, The words which are followed by the frequency number are arranged in the order of Shuowenjiezi(《说文解字》)Under each borrowed word, the original words are list out by frequency in the literature in ascending order. (Since the length of the essay is limited, the text which contains the interchangeable words frequency is in the form of appendix which is called The explanation of interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Slips(《楚简古书文献通假集释》), in the preparation of inspection.) At last we provide comment under each word. In the order of original word, we provide the number of borrowed words in the text, in descending order of the number of borrowed words. After each borrowed word is the frequency of the word. Each borrowed word is separated by "/". Then, this chapter also discusses a new cognitive value related to the interchangeable condition based on the frequency attribute:it helps differentiate the frequent usage of the interchangeable words, habit of words use, and normative assessment. Chapter three shows the meaning of the history Chinese language and the development of Chinese characters by analyzing and comparing interchangeable characters in the Chu Bamboo slips from the perspective of Chinese language history. Specifically, this chapter uses excavated documents and handed-down documents to analyze and discuss below:1. When using the excavated documents as one reference point, we mainly compare with the interchangeable characters collected in Guwenzi Tongjia Zidian (《古文字通假字典》) written by Wang Hui and Zhanguo Qinhan Jianbo Gushu Tongjiazi Huizuan written by Bai Yulan (《战国秦汉简帛古书通假字橐纂》)：a) The result shows that there are total 2433 groups of interchangeable characters in the Chu Bamboo slips, total frequency is 11453. And there are 100 groups of interchangeable characters in the former period excavated documents, which is 4.11% of the total number. The frequency of these groups is 2375, which is 20.74% of the total frequency. This data shows that although the quantity of interchangeable characters in the former period excavated document is few, they are in common use. The words in the Chu Bamboo slips are not from central China in the Warring States Period, so they are different with traditional words in the Shang dynasty. People used to care more about formational attribute of words, while ignore the special usage of interchangeable characters. Thus, this analysis will help fill the vacancy of those existed research.b) There are 269 groups of interchangeable characters from following period excavated documents, which is 11.06% of the total number. The frequency is 4389, which is 38.32%of the total number. This result indicates that interchangeable characters which are successfully handed down are still in common use. First Emperor of Qin unified Chinese words and eliminated those which are not qualified. However, which words are exactly eliminated and of what ratio these words are? We can learn from data above.c) There are 72 groups of interchangeable characters from excavated documents in other places of the contemporary, which is 2.96%of the total number. The frequency is 2887, which is 25.21% of the total frequency. Words are special shaped during the Warring States Period. This change involves both original words and borrowed words. Obviously, about this question, those existed research are not enough, while data above can fill in the vacancy to some extent.2. We use the interchangeable characters collected in the Guzi Tongjia Huidian (《古字通假会典》)written by Gao Heng to compare with those from handed-down documents. This indicates below:a) There are 214 groups of interchangeable characters from the pre-Qin period handed-down document, which is 8.80% of the total number. The frequency is 2539, which is 22.17% of the total frequency.b) There are 154 groups of interchangeable characters from handed-down document in Qin and Han dynasty, which is 6.33% of the total number. The frequency is 1445, which is 12.62% of the total frequency.c) There are 41 groups of interchangeable characters from handed-down document after Han dynasty, which is 1.69% of the total number. The frequency is 347, which is 3.03% of the total frequency. During the spreading process, handed-down documents more ore less lose some original characters. However, we need different written material of unearthed documents from division of history into periods to compare and judge the authenticity of this distortion. Obviously, analysis above is valuable on this problem.Chapter four organizes the internal diversity of interchangeable content in the Chu Bamboo slips. Using frequency as a tool, we analyze Chu Bamboo slips literature which contains special interchangeable content and organize by each borrowed words and original words.The first paragraph organizes the Chu Bamboo slips which contain special interchange. The so called special interchange has two meanings:First is that one group of interchangeable word may only be seen in one article, but this word also has a similarity one in common use in the Chu Bamboo slips, thus form another group of interchangeable word. Second is that one group of interchangeable word can only be seen in one article, and there is no other group of interchangeable word of the word in the article. As to these two special interchange, the first one is called potential special interchange, the second one is called absolute interchange. Among the 72 borrowed words,30 ones involve potential special interchange, which is 41.67% of the total amount, while 20 ones involve absolute interchange, which is 27.78% of the total amount. Therefore, we can see:we can’t say inferior subsystem doesn’t exist at all, otherwise, the existence of the 27.78% absolute interchange cannot be explained. But this subsystem is just a weak and vague form of existence. What can prove this is that the ratio of 27.78% is not high, the frequency of these special interchange words is quite low, which is the more important reason. But of course, this also indicates that the reason of the internal diversity is the lack of standardization of interchangeable words.The second paragraph organizes borrowed words and original words cover to cover. If the borrowed words and original words is one-one corresponded, it indicates that the words usage in the Chu Bamboo slips from same writer is highly unified. Otherwise, the interchange words from same writer are not unified, which indicates that the usage of interchangeable words is not standardized. The amount of Chu Bamboo slips article related to this essay is 76 in total, and the amount of Chu Bamboo slips article in which borrowed word correspond 2 or more original words is 47, which is 61.85% of the total amount. This number is more than a half, which indicates that in internal unity of interchangeable words usage in the Chu Bamboo slips is not high and lack of standardization.The creative points of this essay are presented below:1. The organization of the interchangeable words is not just limited in sampling collection, but also gives the property of words frequency. Therefore, it deepens our knowledge of the fact of unique interchangeable words from different literatures.2. This essay describes characters used in Chu Bamboo slips from the perspective of the history of Chinese language, analyzing the development of Chinese language and the differences of the cotemporary, therefore providing a special valued reference material for further study of interchangeable words in the Chu Bamboo Strips. |
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