释“好”

On the Interpretation of "好"(hao)

自《说文解字》始 ,便将“美也”作为“好”字的本义 ,这实际是根据“好”字后起义所作的误释。根据分析甲骨文、金文“好”字的最初字形结构 ,并结合对相关的铜器铭文和文献的考证 ,“好”与“妃”字原本为一词二形 ,本来词义为男女匹配为偶 ,作为动词时为匹配义 ,作为名词时为配偶义。随着词义的发展和字形的演变 ,“好”与“妃”由二形一词演进为二形二词 ,匹配为偶之义由“妃”字独自承袭 ,致使“好”字本义湮没。

As early as in Shuo Wen Jie Zi, the character 'beautiful' was interpreted as the basic meaning of good (hao). That was an m isunderstanding. Through the analysis of the primtive structure of 'hao' in the inscriptions on bones and ancient bronze ob jects, and also through the textual research on relevant documents and similar inscriptions, it has been proved that the words 'hao' and 'fei' originally w ere two words with the same meaning which indicated men and women making couples , When they were used as a verb, they meant marrying and when used as a noun, th ey meant marriage. With the evolution of word reaning and the change of word fo rm, the words 'hao' and 'fei' have gradually become two words with two diffe rent meanings. The meaning of 'marriage' or 'marrying' has been exclusively. inherited by 'fei', while 'hao' has completely lost its original meaning.