《释名》声训的验证标准

东汉刘熙的《释名》一书试图运用声训的方式来推求语源,但是他和他的前辈们使用的方法是一样的,这种声训是在“一对一”的意义层面上进行的,缺乏词族内部语源意义的推求,也没有经过同族词的验证,所以往往是“射覆”式的。应该从人类文化、人类思维和名实关系的角度为之建立验证声训是非的标准,以便能够条分缕析地研究《释名》声训的个案,给其以正确的评价。

Criteria for examining Shi Ming entries by sheng xun

Liu Xi’s Shi Ming of the Eastern Han dynasty tries to explore the origin of pronunciation for the meaning of a certain word with sheng xun. However, similar to his predecessors’, his “one to one” approach only touches upon the lexical meaning but turns a blind eye on the etymological meaning of the internal lexis family and lacks verification from lexis of the same family. It, therefore, appears to be more of a guesswork method. This paper tries to establish a standard for critically analyzing sheng xun in the light of human culture, human thoughts, and the connection between names and things in examining the entries of Shi Ming in an orderly fashion so that this book can be correctly and accurately evaluated.