《说文》新附俗语词演变的三种模式

Three Patterns in the Evolution of the Colloquial Words in Shuowen

《说文解字》全书有九次专门提到和某个雅称相对的俗语词,其中有三组词历时演变的线索比较明显:“鹜”“凫”原本分别指家鸭和野鸭,“鸭”进入文献之后成为通称,由于汉语双音化的缘故,出现了双音词“家鸭”“野鸭”代替原来的“鹜”和“凫”;相应地,“鹜”“凫”之别也就不大为人所知,或者统言无别了。梳子原本统称为“栉”,大约到秦代分化出“比、疏”之别,东汉时“疏”已经写作“梳”,但直至两晋时代“比”才写作“篦”。“佗”因为表义复杂,所承担的意思过多,所以另造了从马它声的“驼”或从马大声的“驮”表示“负载”之义。后来“驼”“驮”的表义分化,大约在《玉篇》之前,“驼”专指“骆驼”,“驮”专门表示“负载”。

There are nine references in Shuowen Jiezi devoted to vulgar words as opposed to a particularly elegant term,and there are three groups of words with a clear trail of evolution through time.(1)The original“wu”(鹜)and“fu”(凫)refers to domestic ducks and wild ducks respectively,later“ya”(鸭)entered into literature and became a generic term.Due to the Chinese diphthongization,there are two-toned words“jiaya”,“yeya”instead of the original“wu”and“fu”.Accordingly,the difference between these two characters is not very well understood.(2)The comb was originally known as“Zhi”(栉).From about the time of the Qin Dynasty a distinction was made between“bi”(比)and“shu”(疏).In the Eastern Han Dynasty“bi”was written as“bi”(篦),while“shu”was written as“shu”(梳)up to the Jin Dynasties.(3)Because the meaning of“Tuo”(佗)is complicated,the words“tuo”(驼)and“tuo”(驮)were created to denote load.Later,the meaning of these two characters diverged:Before the Yupian,“tuo”(驼)was used exclusively for“camel”and“tuo”(驮)for“load”.