瓦罗与许慎的语源观念比较

Etymological Perceptions of Varro and Xu Shen: A Comparison

本文基于对古罗马学者瓦罗(Marcus Terentius Varro)《论拉丁语》(DeLingua Latina)和中国汉代学者许慎《说文解字》的比较,探讨两位古代学者语源观念的异同,并由此阐释二者的语言文字观念以及相关的影响因素,同时从这一视角讨论'字'所具有的多重复杂性质。论文的主要结论是:(1)许慎与瓦罗都认为语言文字是基于少量根本要素衍生发展起来的,语源研究是把握语言文字本质属性的基本途径;(2)二者都把语言单位的构形(词形或字形)作为研究的立足点,对构形与语源做出统一的解释;(3)两种语言文字的差异影响到两位古代学者的研究结果,对二者的比较更凸显出汉字形音义关联的跨时空特点。

Based on a comparison of De Lingua Latina and Shuo Wen Jie Zi(《说文解字 》), this paper discusses the similarities and differences in etymological perceptions between Varro, an Ancient Roman scholar, and Xu Shen( 许慎), a Chinese Han Dynasty scholar, expounding their thoughts of language and related factors. In addition, the multiple and complex nature of Zi( 字)is discussed from this perspective. Three major conclusions are reached:1) both Xu Shen and Varro believed that a language is derived from a small number of fundamental elements and etymology is the basic approach to grasp the essential attributes of the language;2) both scholars considered the formation of a language unit(word or Zi)as foothold of etymology, and made a unified explanation to formation and origin;3) differences between the two languages also affected findings of the two ancient scholars, and their comparison highlights the trans-temporal characteristics of Zi.