试论“需”“”■“耎”三字的本义与“儒家”之“儒的原初含义——兼论先秦至东汉”“儒”的涵义的演变

An Explanation on The Chinese Characters“需”“”“耎”and The Original Meaning of The Chinese Character“儒”——Also about The Meaning Shift of“儒”from Pre-Qin Period to The Eastern Han Dynasty

通过字形的分析来推求“儒”字的本义,是学者经常采用的一个重要方法。从文字在具体材料中的意义去倒推本字,再结合字形及用法等综合判断,“需”字应为会意字,本义是“物遇雨湿,则软而下垂”,进而引申出“柔”“弱”等涵义;“需”字用作“须”“待”“迟疑”的意义时,本字应为“■”,从“雨”从“天”,本义为“天将要降雨”;“耎”字本义为“末梢较大”,与“需”字“柔”“软”“弱”的意义无关。“儒”“柔”“優”“擾”都有“顺”“使顺”的涵义,“儒”作为“儒者”“儒家”的本义,就是“和”“擾”“顺”“安”,它原本是周代制度中一种辅佐帝王安顺百姓的职官,充当这一职官的人也因此被称为“儒”。

An important way to search the original meaning of Chinese ancient characters is to analyze them by their forms.Combining the meaning of the characters in specific context,the forms of the characters,and the usage of the characters,it can be concluded that the character“需”means something softened by wetting,and extends in the meaning“weak or soft”;the character“”means the upcoming rain;the character“耎”means the big bottom of something,but it doesn’t mean“soft or weak”.All the Chinese characters“儒”“柔”“優”“擾”have the meaning“peace”or“keeping peace”.The Chinese character“儒”,originally meaning“peace”and“keeping peace”,also refers to an official who assists the monarch with the good governance in the Zhou Dynasty.