从假设句的否定形式看甲骨文中的“勿”、“弜”与“不”、“弗”之别

Differentiating wu(勿)/bi(弜) and bu(不)/fu(弗) with reference to conditional negative expressions in oracle bone inscriptions

在商代甲骨文假设句中,当否定条件分句时,否定词大多用"勿"或"弜",而极少用"不"、"弗"或"亡";当否定结果分句时,否定词大多用"不"、"弗"或"亡",而极少用"勿"或"弜"。条件分句和结果分句否定词呈现严格的对称性分布。这种对称性的分布与条件分句和结果分句在语气上的不同有关,而与否定词后动词的义类无关。"勿"和"弜"是甲骨文中的非直陈式的否定词,"不"和"弗"是甲骨文中直陈式的否定词。

In oracle bone inscriptions,the negative words of the protases are wu (勿) or bi (弜) while those of the apodoses are bu (不) /fu (弗) or wu (亡). This symmetrical distribution is closely related to the distinction of modality between protasis and apodosis rather than the lexical meaning of the verb. This paper claims that wu and bi are the negative words of non-indicatives whereas bu and fu are the negative words of indicatives in the Shang Dynasty.