对战国至唐代期间“羌人语”的考察

A Study on the“Qiangren Language”in Chinese Historical Records Between the Warring States Period and the Tang Dynasty

历史上,“羌”是汉语史籍中对中国西部某一(些)族群的通称。部分学者认为,被称作“羌”的人群,其构成并不稳定,没有统一的语言。但战国至唐代期间“羌”人的语言,即本文所说的“羌人语”,其部分语词被记录在汉语文献中。在研究了这些语词后,学者或认为“羌人语”为羌语,或将之视作藏语。本文逐个考释了语义较明确的“羌人语”语词,发现他们都可用藏语解读,可认为“羌人语”是一种与藏文初创时期的藏语差异不大的古藏语方言。

“Qiang”was a general rubric in historical Chinese records for people(s)living in western China during the ancient times.Some scholars assert that the people called“Qiang”have had neither stable content nor a mainstream language.But some words from the language of the“Qiangren people”,i.e.the so-called“Qiangren language”in this paper,was recorded in Chinese historical literature between the Warring States period and the Tang dynasty.Based on their studies on the words transcribed with Chinese characters,some scholars hold that the Qiangren language is a variety of the Qiang language,while the others maintain that it is a Tibetan variety.This article presents a detailed study of all the recorded words of the Qiangren language whose meanings are either explicit or at least approachable,showing that each of them can be aptly interpreted within the realm of Tibetan,and reaches the conclusion that the Qiangren language is an ancient Tibetan dialect,similar to the Tibetan language when it was first reduced to writing.