Research on the Evolution of Common Words from the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty

Author: Wang Weihui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-05-01
Features: The period from the Eastern Han to the Sui Dynasty was a time of dramatic changes in the history of Chinese language development. Many common words underwent renewal and replacement during this period. The Chinese vocabulary was transitioning from the dialectal vocabulary system of the ancient times to the colloquial vocabulary system of the modern era, laying a preliminary foundation for the formation of the modern Chinese lexical structure. Common words are simple and easy to understand, which is why they often receive little attention from Chinese language history researchers. However, if we change our perspective, we will realize that the historical evolution of common words, as the core of the vocabulary system, should indeed be the focus of research. This book provides a detailed description of the renewal and replacement process of common words during the Eastern Han to Sui Dynasty, offers an in-depth explanation of the significance and methods of studying the evolution of common words, and offers a preliminary summary of the patterns of common word evolution. It can serve as a reference for Chinese language history researchers, lexicographers, students in Chinese departments of universities, and graduate students in Chinese language and characterology.