论中古一、二等韵的音值

On the Phonetic Value of First-and-Second-Class Vowels in Middle Ancient Chinese

无论在现代汉语方言中,还是在古汉语的先秦、两汉、魏晋南北朝、宋代、元代以及明清时期,前、后低元音都没有构成对立的音位,其元音音位构型属于三角形系统。在中古汉语的域外译音以及汉语亲属语中,也未发现前、后低元音构成对立的现象。据此推论,在中古的隋唐时期,汉语的前、后低元音也不会构成对立的音位,其元音音位构型同样属于三角形系统。在现代多数方言中,中古开口二等韵的多数字都没有介音,韵腹属于低元音或次低元音,甚或在有的方言中,所有开口二等字都没有介音。据此推论,二等韵在中古也不会有介音。前人或将中古某些一等韵的韵腹拟作后低元音ɑ或■,某些二等韵的韵腹拟作前低元音a,或拟二等韵有一个e或γ、■的介音,均不足信。在中古的隋唐时期,前、后低元音和汉语其他时期一样,只有音值的差别,没有音位的差别,因而不能用以区别不同的等属。低元音a、ɑ(或■)属同一个音位,是一等韵的韵腹。二等韵没有介音,其韵腹是次低元音ε、∝、∧、■、、a 之类。

Either in modern dialects or in Old Chinese in times of the Pre-Qin,Two Han Dynasties,Wei and Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties,Song Dynasty,Yuan Dynasty and Ming and Qing Dynasties,the front and back open vowels did not constitute contrastive phonemes,rather the configuration of vowel phonemes assumed a triangular shape. Nor the front and back open vowels were found contrastive in foreign transliterations of the middle ancient Chinese and in related languages. Therefore,in the middle ancient Chinese in times of the Sui and Tang Dynasties,Chinese front and back open vowels could not be contrastive but triangular-shaped. In most modern dialects,most characters with second-class open vowels in middle ancient Chinese contain no semi- vowel,and the major vowels belong to low vowels or sub-low vowels. In some dialects,all second-class open vowels contain no semi-vowels at all. So the second-class open vowels could not contain semi-vowels in the middle ancient Chinese. It is supposed that some scholars in the old times might regard some first-class vowels as the back open vowels ɑ or ■,the major of some second-class vowels as a or the second-class vowels should contain an e or the medial ɑ or ■. None of the above-mentioned was well-grounded. In fact,in middle ancient Chinese of the Sui and Tang Dynasties,the front and back open vowels differed only in phonetic value and showed no phonological difference like the case in other times of Chinese history. As a result,they offered no basis for classification. The open vowels a and ɑ（ or ■） belong to the same phoneme as the major of first-class vowels.The second-class vowels contain no semi-vowels,and their major vowels are sub-low vowels,such as ε、∝、∧、■、、and a .