Chinese Linguistics: A Collection of Works by Chen Mengjia

Author: Chen Mengjia
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: From autumn 1937 to autumn 1944, Professor Chen Mengjia taught Chinese paleography at Southwest Associated University in Kunming. In summer 1939, Professor Chen compiled his lecture notes into a book titled An Introductory Textbook of Chinese Paleography, which consisted of seven chapters. The seventh chapter, "Materials of Ancient Chinese Characters," only included the section "Oracle Bone Script," leaving it unfinished. By 1943, Professor Chen added two chapters on Chinese paleography, calling it a "Revised Edition," which contained some overlapping content with the 1939 version. In autumn 1944, at the recommendation of Mr. Fei Zhengqing and Mr. Jin Yuelin, Professor Chen went to the University of Chicago in the United States to teach Chinese paleography, with his lecture notes printed in English under the title An Introduction to Chinese Paleography (translated as "An Outline of Chinese Paleography"). This book is the lecture notes for Professor Chen Mengjia's course on "Chinese Paleography" at Southwest Associated University, and the manuscript has never been published. Although it is a lecture note from over six decades ago, some of its insights are still relevant today, as Professor Chen has revised them in his later works. However, certain viewpoints presented in this lecture note remain valuable for reference. Furthermore, Professor Chen established a unique system of paleography in this lecture note, which reflects the characteristics of his academic approach and is a highly precious resource for studying Professor Chen himself. This book also holds significant reference value in the history of scholarship.