“工”字的分化与“贡”字的起源

Differentiation of the Word“Gong”(工)and the Origin of the Word“Gong”(贡)

朝贡之“贡”在甲骨文和金文中均未见。据于省吾先生考证,“贡”字的初文为“工”,也有学者认为是“共”。首先对甲骨文表示贡纳之意的“工”组字做梳理,继而利用文献,借助“工”的分化字“功”,从词义引申、汉字发展及语音变化等方面说明从“工”到“贡”的分化过程,从文字学角度阐释了朝贡制度的起源。

The“Gong”(贡)of tribute is not found in oracle bones and gold inscriptions.According to Mr.Yu Xingwu’s textual research,the initial text of the word“Gong”(贡)is same as“Gong”(工).Some scholars think it is“Gong”(共).Firstly,this paper makes a necessary combing of“Gong”(工)related words in oracle bone inscriptions that express the meaning of tribute,and then uses the literature to explain the differentiation process from“Gong”(工)to“Gong”(功),from the aspects of word meaning extension,Chinese character development and phonetic change,so as to explain the origin of tribute system from the perspective of philology.