The Traditional Research Of Old Chinese Initial System And Its Application In Gloss Study

Beginning with Dai Zhen's "twenty chapter of sound shifting" (around the mid-17th century) and ending with the introduction of Historical Linguistics (around the early 19th century), the history of traditional study on Old Chinese (OC) initial system is brief. Accordingly, the present introductions of such history are somewhat insufficient. Dividing traditional OC initial researches into three categories:sound shifting study(????),OC initial testification(?????),and Prime initial theory(?????),this paper discussed their emergence, derivation, or extinction. On the basis of collecting and analyzing "shifting words" from Fangyan Shuzheng(??????),Shuowenjiezi zhu(???????), Shi da( ?? ??),Guangya Shuzheng??????,and Shiming Shuzheng Bu(???????),this paper also investigated the application of OC initial theories in gloss study.Apart from Introduction (chapter 1), the remaining 10 chapters are divided into 4 parts:Chapter 2-4 discussed the establishments of sound shifting study and OC initial testification by Dai Zhen and Qian Daxin respectively, and Zhang Taiyan's amendments to the two theories. Chapter 5-8 discussed the application of OC initial theories in gloss study by integrating the "shifting words". Chapter 9-10 discussed the Prime Initial theory, and the developments of the other two theories. Chapter 11 summarized the motives of diversion of the OC initial theories.We find out, though the study, that the improvements of Sound Discrimination influenced the OC initial theories greatly. In this respect, Huang Kan's( ??)research steps carried great importance, that is establish Ancient Chinese phonology systems through the Thirty-six Letters, then recovery OC initials. We also learned that Qian Daxin's theories have not been acknowledged by the Qing commentators as we might suspect, on the contrary, Dai Zhen's Sound Shifting theory is accepted by Duan Yucai(???) and Wang Niansun(???) with a few changes.