This two-volume set is a collection of the author’s scholarly articles on Chinese ancient characters and unearthed literature.
The first volume focuses on the evolution of Chinese characters, analyzing the composition system and its transformation, the motivation and mechanisms behind the evolution, as well as the methodology of ancient characters studies. It also offers a novel understanding of the core issues related to Shuowen Jiezi, a significant work in the tradition of Chinese paleography. The second volume scrutinizes manuscripts unearthed from archaeological findings, including silk books and bamboo slips discovered in ancient tombs that date back to the Warring States period and the Qin and Han dynasties, as well as Turfan manuscripts. Through textual analysis of these newly excavated documents, the author reinterprets the texts and resolves some knotty problems in Chinese paleography.
The set will appeal to students and scholars of sinology, Chinese philology and paleography, and also Chinese characters and unearthed manuscripts.
Volume 1: 1. Core Issues Regarding the Evolution of Chinese Characters 2. The Composition System of Chinese Characters and the Stages of Its Development 3. The Evolution of Chinese Characters: An Issue Needs Further Exploration 4. The Systematic Transformation of the Chinese Character Composition 5. The Motivation and Mechanisms behind the Evolution of the Chinese Characters 6. The Process and Mechanism of the Formation of the Stroke System 7. The Formation Process and Mechanisms of Radicals 8. Symbolization: The Mechanism of the Transformation from Archaic Characters to New-Style Characters 9. On the Official-Script Transformation 10. Sense Relations Among Same-Origin Chinese Characters (Words) 11. Three Issues Regarding the Currently-Used Chinese Characters 12. Analysis Methods Used in Studies of Characters on Unearthed Texts 13. A Study on Characters from Bamboo Slips and Silk Manuscripts 14. Discussion on the Original Meaning of Wu 物 15. The Connotations of Xie 偕 in “Fish and Wine” from Shi Jing 16. An Evaluation of Different Versions of Shuowen Jiezi 17. Four Misunderstandings about Shuowen Jiezi 18. New Proofs of Shuowen Jiezi 19. Mutual Confirmation Between Zhangjiashan Han-Dynasty Bamboo Slips and Shuowen Jiezi: Supplement to Proofreading Notes to Shuowen Jiezi 20. A New Study on the Explanations of Shuowen Jiezi 21. Mutual Corroboration Between Shuowen Jiezi and Chu-State Bamboo Slips 22. Chinese Words in Shuowen Jiezi: A Probe into the Earliest Word Classification Theory of China 23. Shuowen Jiezi and an Exploration of Homologous Characters (Same-Origin Characters) Volume 2: 1. Problems and Prospect of Chinese Vocabulary Research from Unearthed Documents 2. Mu Guan (木关) and Guan Li (关戾) on Han Slips 3. Xing Sheng (行胜) and Chang Wei (常韦) on Han Slips 4. Interpretation of Four Phrases from Qin Slips 5. Interpretation of Words on Zhangjiashan Han Slips 6. Interpretation of Bamboo Slips from No.1 Han Tomb, Huxishan, Yuanling 7. Interpretation of Words on Bamboo Slips from Mawangdui No.1 Han Tomb 8. Die (牒) on Slips from Mawangdui No.1 Han Tomb 9. Interpretation of Slips from Mawangdui No.3 Han Tomb 10. Analysis of Character Structure of Silk Manuscripts from Han Tombs 11. Examination and Interpretation of Words on Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts 12. Exploration of Some Words on Mawangdui Silk Manuscripts 13. Examination of Wooden Slips from Tianchang Han Tomb in Anhui Province 14. Interpretation of Zhoujiatai Qin Tomb Slips 15. Reading Notes on Kongjiapo Han Slips 16. Interpretation of Words of the Gaodice from Xiejiaqiao No.1 Han Tomb 17. Interpretation of Words on Wooden Slips from Luobowan No.1 Han Tomb, Gui County, Guangxi 18. Two Notes on Shangbowu 19. Quantity Expressions and Quantifiers of Warring States Bamboo Slips 20. Quantity Expressions and Quantifiers of Lists of Burial Articles in Han Slips 21. Exploration of the Origin of the Chinese Zodiac 22. Study on Jijiupian with Ancient Notes Unearthed in Turpan
Biography
Wang Guiyuan is Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Literature, Renmin University of China. He is a leading scholar in the field of Chinese paleography and lexicology.
