说“蛋”

Study on the Chinese Character of“Dan”

“混蛋”“糊涂蛋”一类词中的“蛋”字经历了形、音、义上的发展与分化。意义上,从本义“爬虫”引申出“南方蛮”,又由此引申出“具有某种贬义特征的人”;字形上,则涉及讹变及构件位移;字音上,从上古的单音分化为中古的多音,其本义对应[jǐεn]音,“南蛮”义则对应[dan]音。此类“蛋”的产生,正是“蛋”在形、音、义多方面发展变化的结果。

The form,pronunciation and meaning of Chinese character“Dan”(蛋)in phrases like“Hundan”(混蛋)and“Hutudan”(糊涂蛋)have experienced variations during its development.Firstly,the form of the character has changed from“蜒”to“蜑”and then to“蛋”.Secondly,its meaning has changed from“reptilian”to“southern nationalities”and then to“people with negative characteristics”.Thirdly,it changed from the monophonic character in the ancient time into a polyphonic one in the medieval age.Character of“Dan”in the phrases above is exactly a result of such variations.