“廉”的词义、词源探索

The Research on the Meanings and Etymology of lian(廉)

"廉"的词义引申路径是"侧边、侧隅(边角、隅角、棱角)→逼仄、狭窄→缺少、不足、浅小→约束、节制、减少→清廉、廉洁",这个完整链条共有5个环节。《释名》"廉,敛也"的解释涉及后边的两个环节,点出了"清廉、廉洁"之"廉"的近源。文献中"廉,棱也"的声训,实际上点出了"廉"的远源,即"侧边、侧隅(边角、隅角、棱角)→逼仄、狭窄→缺少、不足、浅小"之"廉"的词源。

There are five links in the complete chain of the extended meanings of lian（廉）： flank（side,edge,border and corner） → cramped and narrow → scarce,shortage and shallow → restrain,control,decrease → incorrupt,honest and upright.Shiming（释名） points out that lian means ＂to restrain＂,which is related to the last two links mentioned above.In this way it explains that lian is the most recent source of ＂honest and upright＂.The fact that lian means ＂edges and corners＂ originally provides the remote source of lian,that is,the first three links mentioned above.