Qīndìng yīnyùn shùwēi 欽定音韻述微
Imperially-Determined Continuation of Subtle Phonology by 梁國治 (Liáng Guózhì, 1723–1786, fèngchì zhuàn) et al.
About the work
A 30-juàn late-Qián-lóng-era imperial rhyme-and-character reference, conceived as continuation (shù) of the Yīnyùn chǎnwēi KR1j0074 (1726). Imperially commissioned in Qiánlóng 38 (1773); completed and presented Qiánlóng 51 (1786) — the year of Liáng Guózhì’s death. The catalog meta records the date as “Qiánlóng 30” but per the Sìkù tíyào the actual commission was 1773. The book applies the same Manchu-script héshēng qièzì spelling method as its predecessor but reorganises the entry-sequencing: where the Chǎnwēi used the 36 zìmǔ as the entry-sequencing structure (so that within each rhyme-class entries do not necessarily start with the rhyme’s title-graph), the Shùwēi makes each rhyme-class begin with whichever mǔ the title-graph belongs to — uniformity. Outer rhyme-class structure: Yùdìng Pèiwén shīyùn, with one variant — 文 / 殷 split into two classes (after the Chǎnwēi), with 殷 attached to 真 rather than 文. The base-character set goes beyond the Pèiwén shīyùn’s 10,252 graphs by adding from the Chǎnwēi, Guǎngyùn, and Jíyùn in priority sequence. New graph-additions reflect Qīng usage: e.g., 阿 historically classed in 歌 (sense: high-place) is now added to 麻 (since it heads the Manchu 12-zìtóu); 鎗 historically classed in 庚 (sense: drinking-vessel) is now added to 陽 (sense: military-weapon = current usage); similarly 查 (newly meaning “to scrutinize”), 參 (newly meaning “to censure”), 礮 (newly meaning “fire-weapon”), 埽 (newly meaning jiànjiāo = a flood-control device) all enter their current-meaning rhyme-classes. Crucially: where the Chǎnwēi prioritises yīn (sound), the Shùwēi prioritises yì (meaning) — i.e., the gloss-text is exhaustively cited from Shuōwén / Yùpiān / Guǎngyùn / Jíyùn with explicit source-attribution for every entry. Sìkù tíyào judges the two books complementary and together exhaustive of xiǎoxué.
Tiyao
The Qīndìng yīnyùn shùwēi in 30 juàn. Composed in Qiánlóng 38 (1773) by imperial command. Its héshēng qièzì method follows the Yīnyùn chǎnwēi exactly. Where it differs slightly: Chǎnwēi takes the 36 zìmǔ as the order of zìniǔ, so under dōng 東 the first graph 公 of the jiàn 見 mǔ heads the entry-list — which sometimes does and sometimes does not match the rhyme-class title-graph; this book makes the title-graph’s mǔ the first mǔ in the rhyme-class; the rest are in standard order — uniform. The rhyme-divisions still follow the Yùdìng Pèiwén shīyùn. Slight variant: from Chǎnwēi’s precedent, splits 文 / 殷, attaching 殷 to 真 rather than to 文. The character-base extends the 10,252 of the Pèiwén shīyùn; under each niǔ additions are sequenced: those drawing on Chǎnwēi first; those from Guǎngyùn next; those from Jíyùn last. Graphs that would be redundant — those with only minor stroke or sense difference, or already entered in two rhymes that cannot in fact be cross-rhymed — are deleted. Newly added graphs reflect modern usage: e.g., Pèiwén lacks 阿 in má but má has Manchu zìtóu status; lacks 鎗 in yáng but the modern military weapon-name needs it; zhā used in current sense for “scrutinise”; cān for “censure”; pào for “fire-weapon”; sào for jiànjiāo; — all sense-shifts that have become universal and are entered under their current sense’s rhyme-class. Just as the má rhyme — Old phonology has all the má graphs in yú / yú — only after the zìmǔ doctrine entered China did má form its own rhyme; the change becomes irreversible. Likewise 姬 originally a Zhōu surname, but post-Warring-States period it entered concubinage-vocabulary; that change too became irreversible. Following sense and following common usage — each fits in its place; ancient practice cannot bind the present. — Cross-reference rules: where one graph is in two rhyme-classes with same sense, “yòu mǒu yùn” notation; with different senses, “yǔ mǒuyùn yìyì”; same and different mixed, “yòu mǒuyùn, yǔ mǒuyùn yīnyì” or “wéi mǒuyì yǔ mǒuyùn tóng, yú yì” — more precise than the older Yùnlüè. Gloss-citation rules: Shuōwén / Yùpiān / Guǎngyùn / Jíyùn — common knowledge, no source-attribution needed; everything else has explicit citation — also unprecedented in the rhyme-book genre. The Chǎnwēi’s focus is on sound, glosses brief; this book’s focus is on meaning, glosses exhaustive. The two together — paired and complementary — leave nothing of xiǎoxué uncovered. (Translated from Sìkù tíyào at Zinbun 0090101.html.)
Abstract
The Qīndìng yīnyùn shùwēi (1773–1786) is the late-Qián-lóng paired companion to the Yīnyùn chǎnwēi KR1j0074 (1726). Where the Chǎnwēi prioritises sound — using Manchu héshēng qièzì spelling to standardise fǎnqiè — the Shùwēi prioritises meaning, exhaustively citing classical and dictionary sources for every entry-graph. 30 juàn; uses the Pèiwén shīyùn outer framework with one variant (殷 attached to 真). Notable for its registration of post-classical sense-shifts (e.g., 阿 → má, 鎗 → yáng with new meanings) and the rigour of its cross-reference notation. Compiled under Liáng Guózhì 梁國治 (the zhuàngyuán of 1748, Sìkùguǎn zǒngcái). The Sìkù tíyào praises the two imperial works as together exhaustive of xiǎoxué. notBefore = 1773 (Qiánlóng 38 commission); notAfter = 1786 (year of presentation, also Liáng Guózhì’s death-year).
Translations and research
- Yú Mǐn 余敏. 2008. Qīng-dài yīn-yùn-xué shǐ 清代音韻學史. — Treats the Shù-wēi as the meaning-side companion to the Chǎn-wēi.
- Pulleyblank, Edwin G. 1991. Lexicon of Reconstructed Pronunciation in Early Middle Chinese, Late Middle Chinese, and Early Mandarin. — Treats both imperial works as primary witnesses for late-imperial Mandarin.
Other points of interest
The book’s explicit registration of post-classical sense-shifts (阿, 鎗, 查, 參, 礮, 埽, 姬) is one of the more striking departures from received rhyme-book practice — acknowledging that lexical change makes ancient rhyme-class assignments untenable for current literary use. The Sìkù tíyào’s concluding judgment that the Chǎnwēi + Shùwēi together “leave nothing of xiǎoxué uncovered” is the highest praise the tíyào set bestows on a Qīng imperial work.