Abstract：Since Shuowen Jiezi (SJ) was compiled for the purpose of interpreting Confucian classics, the phonetic annotations of “duruo” (pronounced as...) in this dictionary did not always indicate the actual pronunciations in the Later Han Period. Rather, they sometimes preserved the tradition handed down by the scholars from previous generations. Therefore, the pronunciation recorded by duruo in SJ manifest historical strata. This paper argues that there are both homogeneous and heterogeneous phonetic strata revealed by “duruo” annotations in SJ. The former refers to the diversity caused by sound changes in history of the same language (including its dialects). Some “duruo” in SJ recorded the old pronunciation of the Pre-Qin time, some recorded that of the Western Han, and some recorded that of Xu Shen’s era. Although some of these pronunciations recorded were from Chu or Qin dialects, since these dialects had evolved from the common language of the Western Zhou or the Spring and Autumn Period, they can be regarded as in the same stratum. “Duruo” in SJ reflect pronunciations of the standard language and local dialects of Xu Shen’s time and also include some old pronunciations which were even represented later in Guangyun or Jiyun in the form of fanqie. On the other hand, heterogeneous phonetic strata refer to two or more independent pronunciations annotated as “duruo” of one character in SJ, which form different phonetic correspondences with that character, and these correspondences are so isolated that it cannot be explained as phonetic divergences. The primary reason for such situation is dialect contact. Since the data of ancient dialects reflected in excavated texts are not enough at present, we only discuss in this paper the first category, the historical homogeneous phonetic strata of duruo in SJ. The characters of “duruo” and the characters annotated in SJ are both in the process of dynamic evolution of phonetics. Excavated texts shed light on the evolution process and the time and space of the phonetic changes, and the phonetic strata of “duruo” in SJ can thereby be analyzed in the light of such documents. There were four circumstances in which “duruo” were used. First, the “duruo” characters recorded the later pronunciation of the annotated characters after phonetic evolutions. Relevant examples from excavated texts show such phonetic changes occurred from the middle or late Warring States Period to the early Han Dynasty. Second, from the perspective of annotated characters, there had been phonetic changes of the “duruo” character. Excavated written materials show such changes occurred from the late Spring and Autumn Period, through the Warring States, to the early Han Dynasty. Third, some phonetic changes occurred in the standard Chinese language of that era, while others occurred in the Chu or Qin dialects. Last, characters with the same phonetic component sometimes appear as annotated characters, and were sometimes used as “duruo” character in SJ, which often show different phonetic strata. They all indicate phonetic strata of homogeneous variants formed in the process of phonetic evolution. By the analysis of different layers in phonetic evolution, this study helps us deepen the understanding of the nature of “duruo” in SJ.
叶玉英. 从出土文献看《说文》“读若”的历史语音层次[J]. 浙江大学学报(人文社会科学版), 2023, 53(2): 29-39.
Ye Yuying. Historical Phonetic Strata of “Duruo” in Shuowen Jiezi in the Light of Excavated Texts. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY, 2023, 53(2): 29-39.
2023, Vol. 53 
