汉语多音节词语的历史演进研究

The Historical Evolution of Chinese Multisyllable Words

通过总结研究者们对上古汉语、中古汉语、近代汉语三个时期有代表性的著作中三音节、四音节词语的数量统计结果和词语类型分类,梳理出它们的发展脉络。三音节和四音节词语的数量不断增加,上古时期的三音节和四音节的词语数量较少,中古时期逐渐增加,近代则是三音节、四音节词语数量剧增的时期,特别是在元代以后,三音节、四音节词语大量出现;多音节词语内部结构不断复杂,词类分布更加均衡。三音节和四音节词语的发展原因主要有三个:社会经济的发展、对外交流的影响和语体的变化。

Based on previous research on lexicostatistic study and clarification of lexical types of different trisyllabic and quadrisyllabic words from magnum opus in archaic Chinese,mediaeval Chinese and modern Chinese,this essay sorted out the development of trisyllabic and quadrisyllabic words and found out that over the time the number of trisyllabic and quadrisyllabic words has increased,there were a few trisyllabic and quadrisyllabic words in archaic Chinese,the amount generally increased in mediaeval Chinese,and large numbers of trisyllabic and quadrisyllabic words appeared in the modern times especially after Yuan Dynasty; their structures become complicated and the distribution of parts of speech becomes more even. There are three reasons for the development of trisyllabic and quadrisyllabic words： the development of social economy,the influence of international communication and the change of registers.