Guangyun ()

Author: Zhou Zumo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1960-01-01
Features: The Guoyun (A New Sound Classification of Chinese Characters) has two editions: the Detailed Annotation and the Concise Annotation. The Detailed Annotation was originally compiled by Chen Pengnian and others during the Song Dynasty, while the Concise Annotation was edited by Yuan Dynasty scholars based on the Song Dynasty version by removing some content. Most of the Concise Annotation seen by Ming Dynasty scholars, while the Detailed Annotation was rarely circulated. In the early Qing Dynasty, Zhang Shijun revised and re-engraved the Detailed Annotation based on the Song Dynasty copies preserved by Mao Shi in the Jigu Ge and Xu Yuanwen's collection, bringing the original appearance of the Guoyun to public knowledge. Later, Cao Yin also engraved the plates based on the Song Dynasty version, but the layout differed from the original. Cao's edition had fewer prints, so it was less widely circulated than Zhang's.
Zhou Zumo was a Chinese linguist. Born in Beijing, he entered the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University in 1932 and graduated in 1936. He then joined the Institute of History and Philology of the Central Academy of Social Sciences as an assistant in the linguistics division. From 1938, he taught at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Fu Ren University. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he became a professor at Peking University and held various positions, including Vice President of the Chinese Linguistics Society, Vice President of the Beijing Linguistics Society, President of the Beijing Qin Literature Society, and Honorary President of the Chinese Phonology Society.
Zhou Zumo was a highly knowledgeable scholar who devoted himself to the study of Chinese language and characters from a young age. Phonology and etymology were his most fruitful academic fields. His Collected Essays on Learning includes over 40 papers, compiling his original insights on the phonological and tonal categories of ancient Chinese and the nature of the Qieyun (A New Sound Classification of Chinese Characters) and its phonological foundation. He also critically reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of numerous ancient Chinese linguistic works using modern linguistic theories, maintaining a rigorous and cautious attitude, avoiding unfounded claims. His other major essay collection is Essays on Linguistics, Literature, and History, which contains over 50 papers on language, literature, and history. Another significant work is A Study of the Evolution of Rhyme Categories from the Han to the Southern and Northern Dynasties (co-authored with Luo Changpei), which examines the evolution of rhyme categories from the Zhou to the Chen and Sui dynasties (800 years), earning high regard from linguists both in China and abroad.
Published in 1984, A Collection of Rhyme Books from the Tang and Five Dynasties is a comprehensive work that compiles and annotates rhyme books from the Tang and Five Dynasties periods. It represents the culmination of over 30 years of Zhou Zumo's collection, organization, and research, marking a pioneering specialized work in the field of Dunhuang and Turpan ancient manuscript studies. It provides valuable materials for the study of Chinese phonology, vocabulary, and etymology.
Zhou Zumo excelled in the collation and correction of ancient texts, authoring works such as A Collation of Guoyun, A Collation and Annotation of Fangyan (Local Words), A Collation and Annotation of Erya (Explaining Words), A Collation and Annotation of Shi (Explanatory Notes), and A Collected Annotation of Luoyang Gailan Ji (Records of Temples and Monasteries in Luoyang). To popularize linguistic knowledge, he also wrote numerous articles on Chinese standardization, Putonghua pronunciation, and dictionary compilation. His book A Talk on Chinese Vocabulary was particularly well-received by readers.
Zhou Zumo spent many years teaching in higher education, dedicating his efforts to training the next generation of linguistic and literary scholars.