构拟原则和证据权重

Principles of reconstruction and the Weight of Evidence

本文讨论古音构拟中的两条原则,理性原则和兼容性原则,以及构拟所以凭借的各种证据的权重问题。当证据互不相容时,理性原则可以帮助确定孰重孰轻:当证据兼容时,权重就会因此而提高。

This paper discusses two principles in historical reconstruction,the rationalist principle and the principle of compatibility,and the weight of the evidence for reconstruction of an ancient phonology.When the data from various sources used for reconstruction are incomparable,the rationalist principle can help determine which are more important in the process of reconstruction.When the data are comparable,the reconstructions based on them will be more reliable than those based on incomparable data.