The purpose of this study is to compare the rhyming tendencies observed in the Shijing and the Chuci. There have been numerous researches on the phonological system of the Shijing and the Chuci, due to its significance in understanding Chinese histori...
The purpose of this study is to compare the rhyming tendencies observed in the Shijing and the Chuci. There have been numerous researches on the phonological system of the Shijing and the Chuci, due to its significance in understanding Chinese historical phonology. However, those researches mostly focused on the temporal fact that they are the products of two different epochs of the Spring and Autumn Period, and the Warring States Period, and the emphasis was on the differences in their phonological systems.This study, however, attempted to identify the phonological distinctions between the Shijing and the Chuci, using the phonological system found in the Shijing as a basis for comparison.For the study, the entire set of over 2,600 rhyme words found in the Shijing and the Chuci have been organized into a table. Then, each rhyme word was annotated by corresponding information for analysis, such as component analyses belonging to the Middle Chinese and Old Chinese systems, and phonological reconstructions by Wang Li, Li Fang-Kuei, and Zhengzhang Shangfang. Each rhyme was shown with the source literature from which it originated.Based on the complete data base, the rhyming tendencies were analyzed in terms of medials, tones, initials, and finals. The following results were obtained.First, although some differences were found between the rhyming tendencies in the Shijing and the Chuci, no essential distinctions were observed. This is due to the methodological limitation, and suggests a need to establish an independent phonological system for the Chuci.Second, considering the phonological system reconstructed by Wang Li, rounded vowels were found at a higher ratio in the Chuci than in the Shijing.Third, it can be concluded that short vowels and long vowels were used at a ratio of 6 to 4 in both the Shijing and the Chuci, if based on the Old Chinese Division Theory by Zhengzhang Shangfang.Fourth, regarding the tones of rhyme words, no particular difference in rhyming tendencies was found between the Shijing and the Chuci.Fifth, the Shijing and the Chuci were found to share similar tendencies in the usage of initials. This may be due to the fact that not enough information is currently available regarding the initials used in the two anthologies, as the scope and the subject of possible studies are limited.Sixth, regarding consonant clusters, the tendency to use *s- prefix is prominent in the Shijing, while the tendency to use lateral, nasal, and stop prefixes is prevalent in the Chuci.Seventh, stop endings were more frequently found in the Chuci than in the Shijing, while the nasal endings and zero endings were more frequently found in the Shijing than in the Chuci. The observation that stop endings were more commonly used in the rhyme system of the Chuci which was written in a later period than the Shijing, implies that periodical differences alone may not fully account for the distinctions between the phonological systems used in the two anthologies.Eighth, the most distinguishing feature that separates the two anthologies is found in main vowels. The Chuci has a higher frequency of the low back vowel *-a, while Shijing has a higher frequency of the series of high back vowels.Under the limitations regarding available information and methodology, specific differences in some categories between the rhyme systems of the Shijing and the Chuci were identified, which can help provide new viewpoints and directions for the future studies on Old Chinese and Sino-Tibetan languages.