Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 11, 2021

 

Chinese Function Words and the Study of Ancient Literary Writings

(Abstract)

 

Gong Zongjie

 

The understanding of function words (lit. “empty words” xuzi 虚字) in the concepts of ancient Chinese literary concepts presents a general development trend from textual exegesis to rhetoric and from classification of words to grammar. In the classic work of literary criticism, The Literary Mind and the Carving of the Dragons, Liu Xie proposes that the function words play the role of expressing sound and rhythm (yuzhu yusheng 语助余声) and perfecting the whole article （弥合文体 mihe wenti）, indicating a shift in the study of function words from classical canon tradition to literary tradition. After the Tang and Song dynasties, as literary writing and criticism developed, the theory of function words in the literary field chiefly evolved in the three areas of style, rhythm, and tone, reflecting the emphasis of ancient article studies on stylistic function, language forms and aesthetic forms. The discussion of the relationship between sounds and words by Qing scholars of ancient writings and philological studies had not only furthered the communication between linguistic and article studies, but also, based on the literary idea with “characters as the basic unit,” become a knowledge source for the study of Chinese literature and literature history. Xuzi can be used as a clue to cast more light on the interactive relationship between Chinese language and literary writings in the development of article study in ancient China, thus highlight the national characteristics of Chinese literature rooted in its unique language and characters.