Discrimination of the Essentials of the Collection of Rhymes from Antiquity to Modern Times

Author: Wang Shuoquan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: This book refers to the Phagspa Chinese materials such as Menggu Ziyun (1308) and analyzes the phonological system of Gujin Yunhui Juyao (hereinafter referred to as Yunhui, 1297). Based on the internal evidence provided by the Yunhui phonological system, it proves that Yunhui is a revised version of Libu Yunlue that combines the system of děngyùn (equal-rhyme theory) with the actual pronunciation of the time. The compilation of Yunhui represents the highest level of phonological research during the Song and Yuan dynasties. Yunhui gathers what it considers "ancient rhymes" (Middle Chinese rhymes) and "modern rhymes" (various regional pronunciations of its era), and the phonological system it reflects is both complex and distinct from any other rhyme book of the past or its contemporaries. The background of the formation of the Yunhui phonological system is a reproduction of the social and historical context in which Qieyun (601), a representative of Middle Chinese phonology, emerged. The phonology of Qieyun represents the standard pronunciation of the Middle Chinese period from the Wei and Jin dynasties to the Sui dynasty. In contrast, the phonology of Yunhui is likely the vernacular of the Min-Zhe-Gan region near the Southern Song capital of Lin'an, which was close to the pronunciation of the time. This book argues that Yunhui was probably a widely used standard Southern dialect during the late Song and early Yuan dynasties. To this day, many phonological rules and principles of Yunhui remain preserved in Shao Wu dialect in Fujian. This book draws on the relevant discussions of predecessors such as Mr. Yi Tonghe, Mr. Zhao Yintang, as well as modern scholars like Mr. Yang Naishi, Mr. Zhu Jianing, Mr. Huadeng Zhenghong, and Mr. Ning Jifu.