金文「□」字別解──兼及「惠」

The Definitions of the Character A on Ancient Chinese Bronzes

「□」是金文中常見的語詞，其用例大體可分為兩類，一類是近於「惟」的虛詞；一類是實詞。細繹相關銘文可以發現，不論在虛詞或實詞的用例中，學界視為通說，而其意實猶未安者有之；未嘗著意，尚可進一步探究者有之。本文由〈逨盤〉銘文「會」有「助」之意獲得啟發，對歷來說解猶有可議，及仍須進一步探究考訂者提出討論。文中所考論者凡以下數事：一、「□」有「助」之意，其例見於〈毛公鼎〉、〈師詢簋〉、〈師□鼎〉、〈□尊〉、〈禹鼎〉。二、由「□」孳乳之「惠」可讀為「畏」，有「敬」之意，其例見於〈沇兒鐘〉、〈王孫遺□鐘〉、〈王子午鼎〉及〈王孫誥鐘〉。文中疑〈彔伯□簋〉之「□」，亦當讀如「畏」。三、「□」於《說文》讀如「專」。疑〈九年衛鼎〉之「□」或可釋讀為「專」，有「職司」之意。四、「□」可讀為「會」，有「會聚」之意，其例見於〈□尊〉。而「□」讀為「會」，正可使〈逨盤〉中有「助」之意的「會」，與諸銘中有「助」之意的「□」，彼此間聯繫起來。

In Chinese academic circles, it is generally deemed that the character A in Chinese bronze inscriptions has four definitions. When used as a function word, it means wui (惟); when used as a content word, it means shun (順, to obey) or serves as a name or a posthumous name. This paper compares the meanings of A and its derivative hui (惠) and draws four conclusions about them. The first is that hui (A) can be explained as zhu (助, to assist), which is exemplified in the inscriptions of Mao Gong Ding (〈毛公鼎〉), Shi Xun Gui (〈師詢簋〉), Shi Zai Ding (〈師鼎〉), He Zun (〈尊〉) and Yu Ding (〈禹鼎〉). The second is that both A and hui (惠) can be explained as jing (敬, deference ), which is demonstrated in the inscriptions of Yun Er Ding (〈沇兒鼎〉), Wang Sun Yi Lie Ding (〈王孫遺鼎〉), Wang Zi Wu Ding (〈王子午鼎〉), Wang Sun Gao Zhong (〈王孫誥鐘〉) and Lu Bo Zhong Gui (〈彔伯簋〉). The third is that A can be pronounced as zhuan (專), meaning zhisi (職司, to manage), as in the inscriptions of Jiu Nian Wui Ding (〈九年衛鼎〉). The fourth is that A can be pronounced as hui (會), meaning huiju (會聚,to assemble), as in the inscriptions of Fu Qu Zun (〈尊〉).