Wang Song-mu

Abstract

Shi Kui’s (1654-1740) four volumes of Taigu Yuanyin are the works of Dengyun Xue written in the initial period of the Qing dynasty, with the purpose of basing the abstract ideas of yinyang, wuxing, Yi-xiang, and lelu. Shi attempts to build a standard phonological system capable of comprehensively understanding and regulating the ideal standard sound of Wufang, named “Taigu Yuanyin” (literally, the archetypal ancient sound). The contemporary phonologists pay rare attention to this work. The rare researcher like Chien fan-chun (2010) follows the mainstream paradigm of the “history of phonology,” arbitrarily assumes that this work reflects Wu Chinese dialect simply due to Shi’s birthplace in Jiangsu province. Then Chien refers to the results from the investigation of today’s Changzhou dialect that, one by one, simulates the sound values of the sound classification of the phonological graph, and that generates the rules of sound changes.

From the “history of phonology” to conduct the research, it seems objective and delicate. However, it falls into the trap of scientism, which unconsciously leads to the fallacy of viewing the old from now and of arbitrariness. The project shifts to the “history of phonological thought” used to approach Taigu Yuanyin, through which the text of it is closely read to deepen and explore the form of the phonological graph, phonological terms, and qieyin methods. Then, the researcher would examine scholars’ comments about Shi, and then understand his phonological thought and design ideas. By so doing, one can critique the fallacy of the “history of phonology” on the one hand, and explore possible new routes about the development of Chinese Dengyun Xue on the other.

Keywords: Taigu Yuanyin, Dengyun, history of phonological thought, standard sound,  Ideal Phonological System