A Comparative Study Of Eight Chinese Medieval Onomatics

Ancient Chinese phonology,which refers to the phonetic system of Sui and Tang dynasties,is reflected in the serial books of Qieyun and early rhyme diagrams.Reconstruction is a research method stemming from western historical linguistics,and it means rebuilding the protolanguage according to corresponding relationships among relative languages or dialects.Based on ancient Chinese phonology systems of eight scholars,including Bernhard Karlgren,Dong Tong-he,Li Rong,Wang Li,Li Fang-gui,Zhou Fa-gao,Shao Rong-fen,Zheng Zhang Shang-fang,this paper compares their differences in initials,finals,tones and so on,and gives reason analysis.Their reconstructions of most initials are almost same,and the discrepancies show in several aspects:whether the initials Yun(?)and Niang(?)are independent,whether the initial Si(?)and yodized initials exist,whether voiced initials aspirate,the specific phonetic values about initial groups Zhi(?)?Zhuang(?)?Xiao(?)?Ying(?)and initials Chuan(?)?Shan(?)?Ri(?).When it comes to finals,except some inconclusive problems like Chong-niu and the k'ai k'ou or ho k'ou of labials,eight scholars hold disparate views in following problems:the medial sounds of k'ai k'ou and ho k'ou,the primary vowels of final ?,?,?,?,the primary vowels of Chong-yun ?,?,the primary vowels of rhyme groups Yu(?)?Zhi(?)?Liu(?)?Zhen(?)?Shen(?)?Zeng(?).Their studies of tones are preliminary.Bernhard Karlgren thinks that four tone categories possess eight tone pitches.Li Rong claims that there only have three tone pitches.Zhou Fa-gao believes that level tones are prolonged sound,while oblique tones are short sound;Shao Rong-fen argues that ancient four tone categories have respective pitches.The last view is agreed by most scholars.By comparison from many aspects,we can draw conclusions as follows:Bernhard Karlgren accomplished the basic frame work of reconstruction by use of modern dialects and foreign transliterations,but his phonetic system had some deficiencies because of his misuse of ancient documents.Li Fang-gui reconstructed archaic Chinese phonology system on the basis of Bernhard Karlgren's work.Although he amended Karlgren's work according to his research,his ancient system was still very close to that of Karlgren.The system of Wang Li was based on Karlgren's system,and absorbed views of Zhao Yuan-ren,Lu Zhi-wei,Luo Chang-Pei and so on.Wang Li ignored Chong-niu,which indicates that his system is conservative.Dong Tong-he retained Karlgren's aspirated signals of voiced initials and solved Chong-niu and Chong-yun creatively,which means his system is both conservative and innovative.Li Rong modified Karlgren's many improper phonetic values by using Sanskrit transliterations and coordination laws between initials and finals,such as phonetic values of initial group Zhuang(?).Shao Rong-fen made some significant points through comparing phonetic features of Qieyun and other contemporary phonetic materials,for example,phonetic values of initial Chuan(?)and Shan(?)should be exchanged.The feature of Zhou Fa-gao's system is that as far as possible using fewer phonemes to express more phonetic phenomenons.What's more,it is special that he explains Chong-niu and Chong-yun according to archaic phonetic values of Nei groups and Wai groups.The system of Zheng Zhang Shang-fang is most different and independent,but his systems of archaic and ancient couldn't explain each other in some specific phonetic values,such as his reconstruction of initials Yu(?)and Zhong(?).Sometimes other scholars'different conclusions could coexist in the ancient system of Zheng Zhang,because in his views these are different results in different stages of ancient Chinese.