Lexicology Dictionary Research

Author: Zhou Jian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The focus of modern Chinese research has always been on grammar, while vocabulary research has long been neglected and remained a weak point. It wasn't until the 1970s that some works on Chinese vocabulary studies began to appear, but most were based on the theories and systems of Soviet or Western vocabulary or semantic studies, supplemented with examples from Chinese. Of course, it was understandable at first to do so, as borrowing is always a process, and it takes a long time to fully localize it and establish one's own theories, methods, and systems. Around the same time, the compilation of Chinese dictionaries flourished, though the quality varied, with hundreds of dictionaries published, including over a hundred language dictionaries. This provided material for Chinese vocabulary research while also raising demands for linguists to promptly address Chinese-specific issues, such as distinguishing words and phrases, classifying and defining fixed phrases, studying the semantics of Chinese words, and resolving dictionary-related problems like interpretation methods. Unfortunately, foreign theories are often too far removed from the realities of Chinese, failing to address many practical issues. The object of vocabulary research is primarily "words," but what constitutes a "word" in Chinese remains a persistent challenge, and even now, it is say it has been fully resolved. Because foreign theories are distant from the actual practice of Chinese vocabulary, vocabulary studies have offered little help in dictionary compilation. In 1979, I brought the preliminary draft of Introduction to Lexicography to dictionary compilation teams in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and other cities for feedback. To my surprise, each team opposed the inclusion of a chapter on vocabulary studies, believing it had no relevance to dictionary compilation. While vocabulary research focuses on words and may not directly relate to dictionary compilation, it should at least be indirectly relevant or provide guidance for it. Dictionaries should more fully incorporate the findings of vocabulary studies. The view that vocabulary research is unrelated to dictionary compilation is perhaps too extreme, though it likely stems from past vocabulary research being disconnected from Chinese realities. Comrade Zhou Jian has long been engaged in modern Chinese vocabulary research. His work is distinguished by starting with practical Chinese issues rather than relying on existing foreign theories and systems. For example, his research on the distinction between words and phrases, and the classification and definition of fixed phrases, addresses real-world problems in vocabulary research and dictionary compilation. His approach is not merely to supplement Chinese examples based on foreign theories but to analyze and statistically examine actual Chinese language data, providing data for others to reference and verify—a truly valuable contribution. His conclusions may not be universally accepted, but the data he provides holds significant reference value for anyone studying Chinese vocabulary or engaged in dictionary compilation. Modern Chinese, especially written language, is essentially a mixed system of spoken language, written language, dialects, classical Chinese, and Western-influenced elements. Without differentiation, it is difficult to identify any consistent patterns, and even if some are found, they cannot be universally applied, as it is inherently a hodgepodge. Comrade Zhou Jian recognized this, distinguishing between refined () and colloquial () registers, with classical and written language being refined, while spoken and colloquial language fall into the colloquial category. While finer distinctions could be made, compared to the tendency of most to lump everything together without differentiation, his approach represents a significant improvement. Mr. Lü Shuxiang once said, "Recognizing the complexity of the problem is, I think, the first step toward solving it. The second step is to gather materials. To put it humorously, we are now all playing big games with small stakes, despite endless debates and references to commonplace examples. The reason for the debates may well be the limited stakes. Only by gathering materials can we make more specific analyses on specific issues." (Collected Papers on Chinese Grammar, Revised Edition, Commercial Press, 1984, p. 271). I fully endorse Comrade Zhou Jian's diligent academic attitude: starting with raw language data from real-life needs, analyzing and categorizing them, and conducting statistical analysis to provide data. His research approach and methods fully align with the rigorous and pragmatic tradition of Chinese linguistics. Although a fully localized Chinese theory, methods, and system of vocabulary studies have not yet been fully established, the existing achievements, being grounded in concrete materials, offer valuable insights and references for everyone and lay a foundation for the development of a truly Chinese theory, methods, and system of vocabulary studies.