段玉裁《説文解字注》「嚴分之、脂、支」現象析論

On Duan Yucai’s 段玉裁 Theories of the Three-way Distinction Among Zhi 之，Zhi 脂 and Zhi 支 as Seen from the Shuowen Jiczi Zhu 説文解字注

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.

段玉裁把古韻分為十七部，比江永多出四部。這是因為他把之、脂、支分為三部，真、文分為兩部，幽、侯分為兩部。關於「真、文分立」和「幽、侯分立」，容另文討論，本文只著重探討「之、脂、支分立」及一些相關的問題。段玉裁似乎特別重視這個由自己發明的理論，他不單用了較長的篇幅來解釋「之、脂、支分立」的原因，還用它來修改《説文》的音韻現象，使《説文解字注》（以下或簡稱「段《注》」）充滿了「之、脂、支分立」的氣味。具體一點説，段氏通過改反切、改聲符、改讀若等手段來表達三部分用的理念。據我們的統計，這種「嚴分之、脂、支」的現象在段《注》裏共出現了一百多次，數量不容小覷。可惜的是，前人大都只著眼於「之、脂、支分立」的理據，忽略了段《注》裏有關的材料。雖然學者很少留意，但這個課題絕對值得研究。

Duan Yucai (1735-1815) was one of the greatest Qing philologists whose works include Shuowen Jiezi Zhu --- a commentary on Shuowen Jiezi, the earliest extant study of Chinese paleography by the Han scholar Xu Shen 許慎. Among Duan’s many original ideas on Old Chinese phonology, none is more well-known than his theory of the three-way distinction among Old Chinese ryhme categories zhi 之, zhi 脂 and zhi 支. Apparently Duan thought highly of his theory, as evident in the length of his explanation and his subsequent application of the theory to amend phonological aspects of Shuowen Jiezi, hence turning Shuowen Jiezi Zhu into a showcase of his ‘zhi-zhi-zhi theory. The present paper looks at how Duan applied the theory, and whether his alterations to Shuowen Jiezi are justified.