元代北方语言文化环境对元曲艺术形式的影响

The Influence of language and Culture in the North on the Yuan Songs in the Yuan Dynasty

元曲在艺术形式上具有四声通押、一韵到底、不分平仄、对仗自由、多用衬字等特点。这些特点均打破了长久以来的汉文诗歌格律规范。元代周德清创作《中原音韵》试图改变以往依东南语音为主的音韵格律,制定元曲的音韵格律。但实际上元曲的音韵格律依旧是自由灵活的面貌。影响元曲的音韵格律不仅是中原地区的汉语语音,北方少数民族语言介入中原后,在很大程度上干扰了元曲的格律。四声通押、不分平仄与北方少数民族语言不分声调有关,多用衬字与北方少数民族多音节语汇特点密不可分。

Yuanqu （a type of verse for singing） are characterized by rhyming on the four tones, thorough rhyming, no difference between level and oblique tones, free antithesis, and frequent use of words inserted in a line of verse for balance or euphony. These characteristics broke the classical Chinese poetic rhyming norms. The rhyming on the four tones and no difference between level and oblique tones are associated with the northern ethnic minority languages. The frequent use of words inserted in a line of verse for balance or euphony is closely connected with the multi-syllable vocabulary of the northern ethnic minority languages.