Chinese characters are characters that integrate sounds, meanings, and shapes. There are several kinds of relationships between Chinese character sounds and meanings, such as "sound tong", "sound same but meaning is not clear", "sound is different and meaning is different", etc. Since speech is finite (limited by the organs of pronunciation and hearing) and semantics are infinite, it is impossible for a speech to assume only one semantics. In fact, a phonetic often bears a variety of semantics, including similar semantics and different semantics, which leads to the Chinese language having the characteristics of "sound homonym" and "sound homophony and non-meaning"; and because the combination of pronunciation and semantics is initially accidental, arbitrary, it is impossible for a semantics (referring to the same concept) to be borne by only one voice. In fact, a semantic is often undertaken by multiple phonetics, which in turn leads to the characteristics of "different sounds and different meanings" in Chinese.
Here we focus on the problem of "sound synonyms".
The theoretical basis of "sound and meaning" is "sound and meaning homology", which is a view of Qing Dynasty scholars on the relationship between sound and meaning. Duan Yujie's "Notes on the Interpretation of Words in The Sayings" said: "There is righteousness and then there is sound, there is sound and then there is form, and the origin of the word is also." Form is in the sound, form and sound are in the righteousness, and the study of the six arts is also. "Sound and righteousness are of the same origin, so the side of the harmonic sound is similar to the meaning of the word." Acoustic homology is the theoretical basis of the method of semometric semology. Under the guidance of this principle, Qing Dynasty scholars got rid of the shackles of character form, studied word meaning directly from sound, made new breakthroughs in research methods, and set a precedent for modern exegeticians to derive etymology and study semantics from the combination of pronunciation and semantics. The method of "seeking meaning by sound", also known as "sound training", is to use words with homophony or sound proximity to explain the meaning of words, and to explore the meaning of words by analyzing the interrelationship between sound and meaning and the trajectory of sound changes, that is, to use the principle of sound proximity to study the precepts, to clarify false borrowing, trace the etymology, explore the root of righteousness, and find the word family.
There are two kinds of situations in "phonetic synonym", one is the phenomenon that the same root words with the same root are often similar in sound and common in meaning. At the beginning of the occurrence of language, the connection between sound and meaning is completely accidental. With the development of social and human understanding, the vocabulary is constantly enriched, and new words are produced on the basis of the original words. An important way for new words to arise is that after the old word is extended farther away from the original meaning, it is separated from the original word under certain conditions and independent. This is the differentiation of words, that is, the creation of derivative words. Derived words from synonymous roots, i.e., words with the same root, tend to be phonetically similar and identical in meaning. Previous generations of exegetical scholars have recognized this. Duan Yujie's "Notes on the Interpretation of Words in The Sayings" "鏓" bet: "The one who is porous, the one who is onion in the air, the one who is smart and the ear is smooth, and the righteousness is similar." The righteousness of all words will be the same as that of the one who speaks of all words. "囱, onion (traditional chinese 蔥), and Cong (traditional chinese 聰) are all synonymous words with a close sense. Another example is the word "Jing" and "Jing", the ancient pronunciation is the same as see Niuyangbu, there are similarities in structure, "京" is a hieroglyph, originally referring to the grid ju, its hieroglyphic characters are the image of the painting grid residence, Guo Moruo's "Two Weeks of Jin Wen Ci Dashi Catalogue Interpretation": "Elephant Palace GuanCuo (zuīwēi, that is, Cui Wei) of the shape. In the ancient world, it is not the king who dwells. The king's dwelling is tall, so there is great righteousness and high righteousness in Beijing. The high-rise building inhabited by the king refers to the artificially built high hill, "Erya Shiqiu": "The absolute height is Beijing." Guo Pu's note: "Done by human beings." "Shubun Kyobe": "Kyo, what people do is absolutely high qiuya." Zhu Junsheng said: "For wen ze manpower author is Jing, the natural person of the earth is Qiu; the prose is also commonly known as also." In order to show their military achievements, the victors of ancient wars collected the corpses of the enemy and sealed the high tombs made of soil, called "Jingguan", "Zuo Chuan Xuangong Twelve Years": "Junlu built a military army, and collected the corpses of Jin as Jingguan." "Ancient barns, for the sake of moisture and rat prevention, needed an overhead dry appendix system, "Urgent Article": "Portal well stove 庑囷京." Yan Shigu's note: "Jing, Fang Cangye." Guangya Shigu: "Kyo, Kuraya." Wang Niansun shuzhi quoted from the Shuowen: "The circle is called the circle, and the square is called the capital." "Goguryeo in the Three Kingdoms period called the elevated barn "Yukyo". Also extended to tall, "Erya Shi Xiaxia": "Kyo, Daiya." "Zuo Chuan Zhuang Gong Twenty-two Years": "After the Eighth Dynasty, Mo Zhi and Jing." Du pre-note: "Kyo, Daiya." "Jing" is the yi character, the root of the word is "京", "Shuowen": "Jing, Guangye." From the day, Kyo sound. Duan Yu's note: "Where the light is, everything has a yin." "Later generations' names are Yang YueGuang, the yin and yin in the name light are shadows, don't make a word, different meanings and different sounds." Kyo is a sound symbol, also an expression, and the meaning of the day is illuminated from a high place. Therefore, "Jing" also has the meaning of "big", "Erya Shi Shang": "Jing, Daye." "Poetry Sutra, Xiaoya Xiaoming": "The hearing of God, Jie'er Jingfu." Mao Chuan: "Jie, Jing, both Daye." Zheng Xuanji: "Jie, help also." When the gods hear this, they will help their daughters with great blessings. "Shijing Xiaoya Che Shu (xiá, same as "jurisdiction", the key worn in the holes at both ends of the axle so that the wheel does not fall off): "The mountain is up, and the jingxing (háng) line (xíng) stops." Zhu Xiji's note: "Look up, look at it." Jingxing, avenue also. The mountains are uplifting, and the scenery is feasible. That's how the word "admiration" is used.
There is also a situation in which words with different roots are similar in sound and meaning. For example, the words "Tang" and "Dang", the ancient pronunciation is the same as the Ding niu Yang Department, the structure is completely different, and they all contain the meaning of "big". "Sayings": "Tang, big words also." Duan Yu cut note: "Tang, by extension, Daye." "Zhuangzi Tianxia": "Zhuang Zhou is pleased to hear his wind, with absurd and melodious words, absurd and big words, unprovoked cliff words, sometimes indulging but not being shy, not seeing it with contempt." Lu Deming explained: "Absurd is the vast number of people without boundaries." Wang Niansun's "Reading Magazine, Book of Han XIII": "Tang Dynasty, the appearance of the vast. "Zuo Chuan Xianggong Twenty-Nine Years": "Beautiful, swinging! Happy and not obscene. Kong Yingda Shuo: "Swinging, magnanimous appearance." ”
A few days ago, I watched a documentary about archaeology in 2021, and I also found a pair of words with different structures but similar sounds, which is very interesting.
Claw-shaped gold jewelry
In Yuanqu County, Shanxi Province, the North White Goose and the Western Zhou Cemetery unearthed five claw-shaped gold ornaments, fat feet, thick meat pads, resembling "kitten paws", immediately "cute" the hearts of countless people, known as "the most cute cultural relics",
ocelot
In fact, the ancient Chinese native cat is the leopard cat (Huangxian dialect called "mountain beaver"), fierce temperament, difficult to tame, and the domestic cat was introduced to China during the Han and Tang Dynasties (this is also the reason why there is no cat in the zodiac, the introduction of the domestic cat is later than the formation of the zodiac), so these claw-shaped ornaments should be simulated tiger and leopard and other claws, do the man's belt of the string, originally wanted to make it very powerful, the result was accidentally sold cute.
匽姬甗 and inscriptions
What interested me even more was a piece of "匽姬甗(yǎn)", which was a commonly used steamer in ancient times, with a zèng on the top to hold things, a mane in the lower part, to hold water, and a grate in the middle. This bronze urn has an eleven-character inscription on it: "虢季 is used by 匽姬媵甗永宝", "虢季" is the nobleman of the kingdom of Yu, and "媵甗" is the dowry of the yongbao. In ancient times, "匽" was passed through "Yan", and King Wen of Zhou summoned Gong Yi to Yan. This is a dowry brought by a woman from the Yan kingdom who married into the Yan kingdom.
So why is it "匽" through "swallow"?
"匽(yǎn)" is a conjugational character, jin wen from 匸 (xì, hidden), from 妟 (安也), 妟 also sound. "Shuwen 匸部": "匽, hidden also." From the, the squeal. Duan Yu's note: "The words of 匽 are hidden." "Guangyun": "匽, Cain ye." The Yangzhou dialect "匽" refers to entering covertly, for example: the door should be closed, beware of thieves entering. The Suzhou dialect calls a thief who sneaks in behind the door to commit a crime when he is not prepared as a "thief at the door". "匽" also refers to hiding in a hidden place, such as: the little red guy is in a place where the person box (adverb, also) cannot be seen. Huangxian dialect is pronounced yàn, which means to hide and hide, for example: Where do you go with sugar? The little squirrel put the acorn to the child, and finally he couldn't find it. Cloth or clothes that are dirty are not easy to see and called "ashes", such as: small white coats are the least ashes. In ancient times, "匽" was passed through "Yan", and Zhong Ding Yi ware included "匽侯志鼎", "匽侯盂", "匽公匜", etc., and Rong Geng's "Jin Wen Compilation" Volume XII: "匽, classic Tong Zuo Yan." 匽, summoned the kingdom of the lord. ”
swallow
"Swallow" is the common name for various types of birds in the bird family, "Shuowen": "Swallow, Xuan Bird also." Niè mouth, cloth wings, branches, pictograms. All the genus of swallows are from swallows. Duan Yu's note: "The mouth of the fish is therefore the twenty elephants; the cloth wings, so the north elephants; the branches and tails, the same as the fish's tails, so the fire elephants." "The swallow is small in size, with long wingtips, a pronged tail, a short beak, a deep mouth, and a predatory insect when flying, which is beneficial to crops. Swallows are also the closest migratory birds to people, they nest under the eaves of people,Usually look down and don't look up, suddenly one day, the swallows disappear and migrate, in the eyes of the ancients, it is like "匽" up. In the hidden sense, "匽" and "燕" are connected, so in ancient times, the two words could be false.
The general term "righteousness" actually refers to the fact that some words are connected on some of the terms, and not all terms are connected. And the phenomenon of "phonetic proximity" is premised on the same root word (the phenomenon of sound proximity of non-root words is relatively rare), leaving this premise, arbitrarily expanding the scope of this phenomenon, so that the sound meaning of all words is regarded as an organic connection, it is bound to negate the social convention of language and become a fallacy, and move towards assumptions and appendages.
Some of the pictures are quoted from the Internet, and the copyright belongs to the original author