平仄新考

A New Interpretation of Tue Even and Oblique Tones

丁邦新

《中央研究院歷史語言研究所集刊》 47本1分 (1975/12) Pp. 1-15

並列摘要

The meaning of the contrast between the even (p'ing) and oblique (tse) tones in Ancient Chinese was discussed by several scholar, such as Chou Fa-kao, Wang-li and Mel Tsu-lin. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a new interpretation and to propose for each tone the possible tonal contour. Basing on the rich material collected in Hsi-t'an sang, by the Japanese monk Annen in the year 880A.D., and some other evidences, the author comes to the following conclusion: The distinction between the even and oblique tones is that the former is a real level tone with normal length and the latter ones are non-level tones. Among the non-level tones, the shang is a high rising tone with normal length, the ch'ü a mid falling tone also with normal length, and the ju a short interrupted tone with unknown contour.
From this conclusion, the correct function of the even and oblique tones in Chinese literatures, especially poetry, should be explained as a rule of level versus non-level. Fundamentally, it has nothing to do with long or short, high or low, and light or heavy. Secondarily, the p'ing, shang and ch'ü could be grouped together as long tones versus the only short tone ju. This grouping could be used as an secondary rule of length applied after the fundamental rule of level versus non-level.