Research on Disyllabic Words in the Book of Song

Author: Wan Jiufu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The author chose to study the disyllabic words in the "Annals" and "Biographies" of Shen Yue's "History of the Southern Dynasties" (Song Shu) because the 510,000-character "Song Shu" contains rich and vivid linguistic materials. It includes over 11,400 disyllabic words with distinctive historical characteristics, making it of great significance for the study of Middle Chinese and the entire history of the Chinese language. The author probes into the principles and methods of disyllabic word segmentation in historical texts from the Middle Ages, represented by the "Song Shu," in an in-depth and comprehensive manner. It provides detailed discussions on the criteria for identifying various types of disyllabic words, demonstrating strong operationality and scientific rigor.
Building on extensive references to existing research on Middle Chinese vocabulary, the author makes full use of electronic corpora for word frequency statistics and diachronic comparisons. As a result, this book is highly recommended as a scholarly work of significant value in the study of Middle Chinese vocabulary. The author possesses a solid foundation in linguistic theory and pays attention to expanding research perspectives, employing new methods and modern techniques. Consequently, he is able to offer detailed and insightful analyses of the types, linguistic features, and structural characteristics of disyllabic words in the "Song Shu."
With a strong command of classical Chinese, particularly the Nan dialect, the author demonstrates a keen sensitivity to the historical context of the linguistic materials. This enables him to make substantial contributions to the study of newly coined words and meanings in ancient texts. His research findings also hold important reference value for the compilation of ancient texts and lexicographical work.