Page:Essays on the Chinese Language (1889).djvu/93

Rh which, from the style of the Emperor's reign, was called "Hung-wu-chêng-yun" (洪武正韻), Sung Lien's preface being dated 1375. In this work the meanings and pronunciations of more than 12,000 characters are given, and these characters are arranged according to a new set of finals, only seventy-six in number. In fixing on these the compilers seem to have mainly followed the "Chung-yuan-ya-yin," which was a standard of reference for them. The explanations and illustrations are chiefly derived from the work of Mao Huang and his son. A few courtly writers who lived about the time of its appearance have praised the "Chêng-yun," but it has never had favour with the literati. It contains much learning and criticism, but still, as the Emperor Kanghsi says, it never could get into vogue. Sung Lien seems to have blindly followed the doctrines of Wu Yü. He also criticizes as teaching of Shên Yo what was actually that of Liu Yuan, and he made the dialect of his native district in Chekiang the basis of criticism. In the reign of the last Emperor of the Ming dynasty there appeared the "Chêng-yun-chien" (正韻牋), that is, the "Hung-wu-chêng-yun" with supplementary notes. These notes were contributed by Yang Shi-wei (陽時偉) a distinguished Confucianist of the seventeenth century. They are of three kinds: the Chien (牋) give sounds, meanings, and illustrations for the characters in the original "Chêng-yun" but supplementary to those already there; the "Ku-yin" (古音) notes give at the end of each yun (section) a number of characters with their archaic sounds; and the "I-tzŭ" (逸字) are omitted characters which Yang Shi-wei ventured to introduce.

Among the learned men who helped Sung Lien in compiling the "Chêng-yun," was Chao Ch'ien (趙謙) better known as Chao Hui-ch'ien (撝謙). This man, a native of Yü-yao in Chekiang, lived in the second half of the fourteenth century. He was noted during his short lifetime of forty-four years, for his great learning and philological attainments. In addition to his labours on the "Chêng-yun" he compiled also the