先秦經典中「傳」字的字義源流及「傳」類文體的探索

An Investigation of the Etymological Origins and Developments of the Character zhuan 傳 (＂Transmission＂) and the Literary Genre of Zhuan (＂Tradition- Commentary＂) in Pre-Imperial Chinese Classics

顧史考(Scott COOK)

《饒宗頤國學院院刊》 4期 (2017/05) Pp. 67-92

摘要

「傳」作為一種文體類型經常為先秦著作所引用，及至西漢更成為一種地位崇高的傳注類文獻，足以羽翼六經。這種重要文類源遠而流長，但要弄清一部上古著作需要有何特質方能稱為「傳」，尚需作更多的研究。本文通過考察「傳」字的語源和字義流變，對照甲骨文的首見例以至戰國文獻裡的不同用法，初步闡釋「傳」類文獻最初可能被賦予的特徵。

關鍵字

傳 ； 傳注 ； 語源學 ； 引申義 ； 《說文解字》

並列摘要

The literary genre of zhuan 傳, or ＂tradition-commentary,＂ is one often found cited in pre-imperial Chinese works, and by the Western Han came to constitute a distinct form of commentarial literature on the works that had by then come to be seen as the ＂classics＂ (jing 經). This significant genre has ancient origins, but much more research needs to be done before we can begin to determine just what kind of attributes a work of those early times needed to possess in order to be called a ＂zhuan.＂ Through an investigation of the etymological origins and developments of the character zhuan (chuan) from its first appearance in oracle bones to its various usages in Warring States literature, this study attempts a preliminary identification of the characteristics by which these ＂tradition-commentaries＂ may have been first defined.

並列關鍵字

zhuan 傳 ； tradition-commentary ； etymology ； extended meanings ； Shuowen jiezi