字词观史--从陈寅恪“凡解释一字即是作一部文化史”说起

To Observe History With Words: from Chen Yinke's View That "To Interpret a Character Is to Write a Cultural History"

陈寅恪评论时人论著的片语只言亦颇有深意,1936年4月给沈兼士回信评论沈氏《“鬼”字原始意义之试探》一文时说“凡解释一字即是作一部文化史”即是一例。这既是对沈文的称许,亦提示了一种由字/词观察历史的途径。当时学界深受西方语言学影响,强调“语音中心主义”,应和与追随者不多。今天随着再思汉语与汉字关系,汉语常用词研究的推进,以及史学研究的不断开掘,重温陈寅恪此语,开展结合一般使用者、使用场合的关键字词研究,不止是关心演变,亦分析延续,循字见人,由词观史,有望成为史学研究的一条可能进路。

Chen Yinke's(陈寅恪)comments on the works of his contemporaries can be only one or twosentences but with profoundness.In April,1936,Chen returned a letter to Shen Jianshi(沈兼士),making acomment on Shen's essay entitled An Explorution on the OriginalMeaning of the Character“鬼”(《“鬼”字原始意义之试探》),in which he said that to interpret a character is to wrile a cultural history.This is a goodexample of his comments on his contemporaries.His saying not only offered praise to Shen's essay, but alsosuggested an approach to observe history with characters or words.As most scholars at that time were deeplyinfluenced by Western linguistics,they emphasized phonocentrism(语音中心主义).So few scholarsresponded to and followed Chen's inspiration. Today , when we review Chen's statement and make a study ofthe key words of general users and the occasions of their usages,we should not only focus on the evolution ofChinese characters,but also analyze their development.With the rethinking of the relationship between theChinese language and Chinese characters,with the advancement of the research on Chinese common words,and with their continuous development in historical studies ,to view history with words is expected to become apossible approach to historical studies.