| Ancient Chinese literature unearthed on Korean Peninsula are so authentic that they reflect well the language situation at that time. They are a treasure badly in need of exploration in terms of research on Chinese language and philology. With the inscriptions on tablets in the last years of Xinluo Dynasty and the first years of Gaoli Dynasty (the last years of Tang Dynasty and the first years of Period of Five Dynasties) as the object of the present study (we call Jinshi Inscriptions in the Beginning of Xinluo Dynasty and the End of Gaoli Dynasty, Jinshi Inscriptions in the following), the research tries to conduct a systematic and comprehensive investigation in the vocabulary and grammar. It holds far-reaching significance for it can not only advance the researches on the history of Chinese language and Buddhism but also push forward the research on the Korean history and the compilation of Chinese dictionaries.The present dissertation includes two sections, i.e., vocabulary and grammar, in which the former section includes:1. Introduction. It holds a general grasp of the research material. In this part, the researcher discusses such four aspects as the reasons for choosing this topic, the current research situation, methodology, target of the study.2. Buddhist vocabulary. This part mainly analyzes Buddhist characters and four types of vocabulary, that is addressing, Buddhist funerals, Buddhist addressing of objects and creeds and practices. It also makes a contrast to the researches on the ages close to that period. This chapter makes it possible to further understand the characteristic and rich Buddhist vocabulary in Jinshi Inscriptions.3. Study on words with the same roots. It makes an investigation in the methods of semantic composition and constituents' combination of the 19 groups of same-root words in the systems of Chan, Fa and Xuan. These words are highly capable of building morphemes into words. This chapter also intends to generalize some features of the same-root words appeared in Jinshi Inscriptions.4. Jinshi Inscriptions and compilation of Chinese dictionaries. From the aspects of proving by quotations, adding missed words or meaning items, correct mistakes in explanations and adding illustrative examples, the current chapter discusses the existing problems in the words included, meanings and illustrated examples in Chinese Dictionary. This chapter also attempts to put forward valuable materials for revising and supplementing Chinese Dictionary.The second section, Grammar, studies two special topics, that is, pronouns and adverbs.First of all, the researcher classifies pronouns according to their grammatical and semantic functions. Pronouns are categorized into personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns. Personal pronouns are further classified into four groups, such as first-person addressing, second-person addressing, third-person addressing and formal first-person addressing (biren in Chinese); demonstrative pronouns into such three groups as near demonstration, far demonstration, side demonstration and one-by-one (thorough) demonstration; interrogative pronouns into three groups as object, person, place. From that, the chapter analyzes and compares the grammatical and semantic functions of pronouns.Adverbs are firstly put into degree adverbs, time adverbs, limit adverbs and negative adverbs and then analyzed and compared. It is found that Jinshi Inscriptions at that time reflects some grammatical features of that period on the one hand, such as increase in the number of pronouns and adverbs, more accurate categories and increase of double-syllabic words; on the other hand, it shows its own grammatical features. For example, compared with Introductory Collection of Words of Zhuzi of the same time in China, Jinshi Inscriptions is not very colloquial, and some words indicate an imitation of ancient ones. This suggests its characteristic of formal language. This finding greatly enriches the study of formal language of the same age in China.
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