“形声相益”新解与“文”“字”关系辨正

New Interpretation of “xing sheng xiang yi” and the Relation of “wen” and “zi”

《说文解字·叙》有"文""字"之分,后人由于误解"形声相益"的含义,遂把"文""字"的关系看成"独体"与"合体"的关系。其实"形声相益"并非"形符、声符相加合"之意,因为训诂上讲不通。根据"形声"具有动宾结构用法和"取譬相成"的互证,文章认为"形声相益"应该理解为"形化语言以益象形",就是在象形造"文"方法基础上增加音义造"字"方法,以突破客观事物局限,达到大量滋生汉字的目的。因此"文"与"字"的区分不在于"独体""合体"结构的不同,而在于构字取形的途径和方法不同。

Since ＂wen＂ （文） and ＂zi＂ （ 字） were differentiated in the preface of Shuowen Jiezi, subsequent scholars began to misunderstand the meaning of ＂xing sheng xiang yi＂（形声相益）, therefore the relation between ＂wen＂ and ＂zi＂ were taken as the same as the relation between the independent form and the combining form. In fact, ＂xing sheng xiang yi＂ did not mean simply adding semantic complement with pho- netic complement because it runs counter to the principles of traditional Chinese exegetics. On the basis of the verb-object construction of ＂xing sheng＂ （ 形声 ） and the mutual confirmation with ＂qu pi xiang cheng＂ （ 取譬相成）, we hold that ＂xing sheng xiang yi＂ should be interpreted as formalizing the voice to benefit pictograph. More precisely, ＂xing sheng xiang yi＂ is the way to create a new Chinese character by adding semantic or phonetic elements on the basis of pictograph. In this way, numerous Chinese characters can be produced after the breakthrough of the limitation of objectivity. Consequently, the differences between ＂wen＂ and ＂zi＂ are not those between independent form and combining form, but between the process and method of character- formation.