“后生”的历时演变与共时分布——兼论其在官话区消退的原因

The Diachronic Evolution and Synchronic Distribution of “Hou Sheng” & on Declining Causes of it in Mandarin District

"后生"在先秦时期即已成词,本义为"后嗣、子孙"。"后生"在近代汉语阶段是通语词,主要有"年轻人"、"年轻"两个义项。在其"年轻人"这一义项中,又可以指女性,这一用法出现在明代。"后生"一词在现代汉语阶段主要分布在非官话区,"小伙(儿/子)"一词的扩散和"年轻"一词的使用导致其在官话区消退。在"青年男子"这一义位上,"后生"与"小伙(儿/子)"存在历时替换关系;在"年轻"这一义位上,"后生"与"年轻"是一组同义词,明清时期"后生"多在南方使用,"年轻"多在北方使用,这一格局保留至今。

In the pre-Qin period,it has become the word,meaning ＂heirs and descendants＂. In modern Chinese,＂Hou Sheng＂is a common word and mainly has the meaning of ＂young people＂,＂young＂. In the meaning of ＂young people＂,＂Hou Sheng＂was also refered to the female,this usage appeared in the Ming Dynasty. In modern Chinese,＂Hou Sheng＂is distributed mainly in non Mandarin areas,the spread of ＂Xiao Huo（ er / zi） ＂and the use of ＂Nian Qing＂cause the regression of ＂Hou Sheng＂in mandarin district. In the sememe of ＂young man＂,there is diachronic substitution relationship between＂Hou Sheng＂and ＂Xiao Huo（ er / zi） ＂. In the sememe of＂young＂,＂Hou Sheng＂and＂Nian Qing＂is a list of synonyms. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties,＂Hou Sheng＂was used mainly in the South,＂Nian Qing＂was used mainly in the north. This pattern has been preserved untile now.