Table of Contents
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Goal of the study 1
1.2 Subject materials 3
1.3 The Shanghai Museum "Zhouyi $$$" manuscript 7
1.4 The Shuowen jiezi in the light of the Warring States manuscripts 15
1.4.1 Three archaic scripts, xiaozhuan, guwen and Zhouwen 15
1.4.2 The xiaozhuan 'Small Seal script' as a regional variety of the Warring States script 17
1.4.3 The identity of the Zhouwen 'Script of Scribe Zhou' and guwen 'Old script' 22
2 The Old Chinese phonology 31
2.1 Manuscripts as new sources of data for Old Chinese 31
2.2 A reconstruction system of Old Chinese phonology 34
2.2.1 Overview 36
2.2.1.1 The third vs. non-third division syllables and the second division medial *-r- 37
2.2.1.2 The initial *r- 38
2.2.1.3 The initials *l- and *[g]- 38
2.2.1.4 The initials *z-, *s-g- and *s-d- 40
2.2.1.5 Uvular initials 41
2.2.1.6 The diphthongs -wa- and -w&rmcgreve;- 41
2.2.17 Nasal initials, *N- prefix, *s- prefix 42
2.2.1.8 Sources of MC sy- 46
2.2.1.9 Palatalization of velar and uvular initials 46
2.2.1.10 The coda *-r 49
2.2.1.11 The post-codas *-?, and *-s, and *-s as a suffix 51
2.2.1.12 Inventories of simple initials and rhymes 55
2.2.2 Two notes 57
2.2.2.1 The uvulars 57
2.2.2.2 A reconsideration of the 'Rounded vowel hypothesis' 66
3 The Shanghai "Zhouyi" and the Warring States script 73
3.1 Elaborate and casual styles 73
3.2 Decorative strokes 83
3.3 Simplification and development of the Warring States script 87
3.3.1 Stroke simplification 88
3.3.2 Simplification of graphic components 91
3.3.2.1 Deletion and interruption of components 91
3.3.2.2 Replacement by simpler forms 93
3.3.2.3 Compression and merger of components 94
3.3.3 Simplification and residue of iconicity 98
3.3.3.1 Diminishment of heavy dots, thick lines, and fillings 98
3.3.3.2 Neutralization of iconicity 101
3.3.3.3 Transition to the Warring States script 102
3.4 Structural variability in the early Chinese writing system 106
3.4.1 Graphic components and functional values 107
3.4.2 The tendency towards Signific-Phonophoric compound structure 109
3.4.2.1 Increase of compound characters in the Warring States script 111
3.4.2.2 Consequences for textual variation 115
3.4.2.3 The case of Shanghai "Zhouyi" and the received version 117
3.4.3 The case of the fu $$$ vessel 123
4 The Chu Script 139
4.1 The Five-region script system 139
4.2 The Common Warring States character forms 142
4.3 Chu regional character forms 143
4.3.1 Regional variation in componential structure 144
4.3.2 Regional variation in use of decorative strokes 153
4.3.3 Regional variation in simplified forms 155
4.3.4 Regional character shapes 162
4.4 The nature of regionalism in the Warring States script 166
4.5 Some 'true' Chu characters for a diagnosis of the Chu script 169
5 The Shanghai "Zhouyi" and the Early Chinese Orthography 171
5.1 Synonymous Signifies 171
5.2 Equivalent phonophorics 196
5.2.1 Phonophorics in the early Chinese orthography 199
5.2.2 Western Zhou and Chu phonophorics 208
5.2.3 Negative particles 215
5.2.4 Sound symbolism and Phonograms 220
5.2.5 Old Chinese dialect words 222
5.2.6 Etymological relations 227
5.2.7 Phonologically motivated lexical variation 239
6 Conclusions 241
6.1 The last phase of the early Chinese writing system 241
6.2 Regionalism in a single script system 242
6.3 The Old Chinese phonology and the early Chinese orthography 243
6.4 Further implications 244
Appendix I A Lexicon of the Shanghai "Zhouyi" 247
Appendix II Index of Synonymous Signifies and Equivalent Phonophorics 311
Index of Equivalent Phonophorics 317
References 323
