现代汉语程度副词“很”的来源及演变

The Origin and Evolution of the Degree Adverb Hen(很)in Modern Chinese

现代汉语程度副词“很”来源于元代北方汉语与蒙古语的语言接触。现代汉语程度副词“很”的前身是元代的程度副词“哏”。元亡之后,因语言政策制约,程度副词“哏”在明代书面文献中消失,但其用法长期保留于北方汉语底层口语中,在少数文献中以“狠”的面貌出现。清中期以后,由于语言明确性的要求,文字功能开始分化,出现程度副词“很”,逐渐取代“狠”为专职程度副词。现代汉语程度副词“很”经历了不同的字形变化,元代为“哏”,明代为“狠”,清中后期“很”和“狠”混用,最终在现代汉语中“很”专职担任程度副词。

This article demonstrates that the modern Chinese degree adverb hen(很)originated from the language contact between northern Chinese and Mongolian in the Yuan(元)Dynasty,and its predecessor was the degree adverb hen(哏).Due to language policy restrictions in the Ming(明)Dynasty,the degree adverb hen(哏)disappeared in the official written documents,but its usage has long remained in the low-level slang of northern Chinese.It appeared as hen(狠)in a few written documents,and revived in the middle and late Qing(清)Dynasty.Because of the requirement of language clarity,the function of characters began to differentiate,and the degree adverb hen(很)appeared,gradually replacing hen(狠)as a full-time degree adverb.The modern Chinese degree adverb hen(很)has undergone different character forms,from hen(哏)in the Yuan(元)Dynasty to hen(狠)in the Ming(明)Dynasty,and then to the mixed use of hen(狠)and hen(很)in the middle and late Qing(清)Dynasty.Finally,hen(很)becomes a full-time adverb of degree in modern Chinese.