Publication:

Tracing variation in Old Chinese: what, if anything, was "yǎyán 雅言"?

Date

Date

Date
2023
Journal Article
Published version

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Citation copied

Behr, W. (2023). Tracing variation in Old Chinese: what, if anything, was “yǎyán 雅言”? Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 51(2), 287–346. https://doi.org/10.1353/jcl.2023.a902792

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

Based on the single pre-Qin attestation of the compound yǎyán 雅言 in the Confucian Analects ( Lúnyǔ 論語 7.18) the idea of a normative spoken standard language is often projected back by early modern and modern authors into remote pre-imperial antiquity. An overview of the conceptual history of the term and of the competing etymologies of yǎ in early Chinese texts is offered in order to problematize this "invented tradition" and its ideological baggage. Four types of evidence (uniformity of phonology and syntax in excavated texts, ode ci

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92 since deposited on 2024-01-23
91last week
Acq. date: 2025-11-13

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Journal/Series Title

Journal/Series Title

Journal/Series Title

Volume

Volume

Volume
51

Number

Number

Number
2

Page range/Item number

Page range/Item number

Page range/Item number
287

Page end

Page end

Page end
346

Item Type

Item Type

Item Type
Journal Article

Dewey Decimal Classifikation

Dewey Decimal Classifikation

Dewey Decimal Classifikation

Keywords

Sino-Tibetan linguistics, Early China, Pre-Qin period in Chinese history, Pre-Qin Chinese literature, Old Chinese, Old Chinese phonology, morphology, Old and Mitddle Chineses phonology, morphology, etymology, Old and Middle Chinese philology, classical Chinese, Classical Chinese language and translation, early Chinese texts, early Chinese writing, old Chinese language

Language

Language

Language
English

Publication date

Publication date

Publication date
2023-06-01

Date available

Date available

Date available
2024-01-23

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Publisher

Publisher

ISSN or e-ISSN

ISSN or e-ISSN

ISSN or e-ISSN
0091-3723

OA Status

OA Status

OA Status
Closed

Metrics

Views

92 since deposited on 2024-01-23
91last week
Acq. date: 2025-11-13

Citations

Citation copied

Behr, W. (2023). Tracing variation in Old Chinese: what, if anything, was “yǎyán 雅言”? Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 51(2), 287–346. https://doi.org/10.1353/jcl.2023.a902792

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