《説文》籀文形體特點試探——兼論籀文與西周金文之關係

A study on the style and characteristics of “Zhou-wen” as seen in Shuowenjiezi —— a discussion on the relationship between “Zhou-wen” and the inscriptions of Western Zhou dynasty

Abstract

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

《説文》籀文出自《史籀篇》，《史籀篇》的時代問题，向來頗有爭議。班固（32—92）、許慎（約58—約147）以《史籀篇》爲周宣王太史所作，歷代學者皆沿用其説，惟清末王國維别爲新説，以籀文爲戰國時西土秦國通行之文字。此後，學者紛紛重新審視籀文的時代，至今未有定論。值得注意的是，王國維以籀文爲戰國文字，乃基於其對籀文形體特點之觀察。本文針對王國維對籀文特點的看法作進一步探討，認爲王氏所描述的籀文特點大致不誤，惟他以此論定籀文爲戰國文字則難以成立。事實上，籀文的特點與西周晚期金文的風格十分相似，二者可視爲同類書體。原本《史籀篇》或取材於西周晚期之文字材料，並將字形稍加整齊化而寫成。《史籀篇》中的籀文，是太史籀在西周晚期衆多字體中確立的“正體”字。

For more than two thousand years, “Zhou-wen” 籀文, as the form of character used in Shizhoupian 史籀篇, has been considered as a kind of script prevailing in the Western Zhou dynasty 西周. This viewpoint was initiated by Ban Gu 班固 (32-92 A.D) and Xu Shen 許慎 (58?-147? A.D) in the period of Eastern Han 東漢. However, in the late Qing period 晚清, by observing the style and characteristics of “Zhou-wen” presented in Shuowenjiezi 説文解字, Wang Guowei 王國維 argues that “Zhou-wen” may not belong to the period of Western Zhou, but rather is a form of character practiced in Qin 秦 of the Warring States period (475-221 B.C.). This argument leads to a point of controversy about the formulation of “Zhou-wen”.

My study is an investigation of the style and characteristics of “Zhou-wen “. Comparing “Zhou-wen” with the inscriptions in Shang 商 and Zhou 周 dynasty, I conclude that the description of characteristics made by Wang Guo Wei was probably correct. Nevertheless, Wang’s judgment on the forming age of “Zhou-wen” is not precise. It is because the style and characteristics of “Zhou-wen” is similar to the inscriptions of the late Western Zhou period rather than those in the Warring State period. Hence, I believe in the traditional views initiated by Ban Gu 班固 and Xu Shen 許慎, that Shizhoupian 史籀篇 should be established in the late Western Zhou period by Tai Shi Zhou 太史籀. “Zhou-wen” should be the standardized form of character which practiced in China within that period.