先秦「苟」字條件構式析論

Analysis of the Conditional Construction of Gou苟in Pre-Qin Chinese

先秦漢語功能詞的語法化／虛化研究已累積可觀的成果，卻也顯示學者對特定功能詞生成過程的看法分歧，如條件標記「苟」。楊秀芳（2015）認為它是源自從「句」滋生表示「行為不以直道」的動詞「苟」，虛化為條件標記之初有委婉曲折的語氣，相當於「只要……便可」。劉承慧（2010）認為它是源自祈願祝禱成分，引申註記發言者希望成真的交換條件及其所認定的絕對條件。本文認為先秦「苟」字條件構式包括四種語義類型的分支，其中「苟」的初始來源是動詞「苟」。發言者用「苟」貶抑自己的行為以示自謙，引申出帶有僥倖義的狀語，用於條件句的條件項衍生為表示「只要」的充足條件標記；用於祈使句引申出祈願副詞，祈願的組合又在條件項衍生出先決條件、交換條件、無例外條件三種分支。交換條件和無例外條件為封閉型構式，「苟」被定格在構式，不與上下文及語境成分語義互動而有所調整。反之是組合型構式中的「苟」隨著上下文及語境成分的呼應連貫而被用為充足條件或先決條件標記。本文從構式分化的角度，論證以往研究尚未觸及的「苟」兼有註記充足條件與先決條件的功能，同時展示語法化／虛化的關鍵點乃至終點都未必涉及詞彙化。

Research on the grammaticalization or xuhua虛化of function words in pre- Qin Chinese has accumulated considerable results, but it also shows that scholars have different views on how specific function words, such as the conditional marker gou苟, were formed. Yang Hsiu-fang楊秀芳(2015) observes that it orginates from the verb gou苟, meaning“to not act in the correct manner,”which can be traced back to the word family of gou句, and that being a conditional marker, it has a euphemistic and tortuous tone, roughly equivalent to“as long as.”Liu Cheng-hui劉承慧(2010) notes that it is derived from a marker of“prayer”or“for the wish of something to come true,”indicating the condition for the speaker’s wish and being extended to the absolute condition recognized by the speaker. The present article suggests that the pre-Qin conditional construction of gou苟should include four sub-constructions, the markers of which are derived from the above verb gou苟. The verb evolves into“prayer”adverb and an adverbial component indicating self-effacing, which is not lexicalized into the category of adverb. The adverbial component evolves into the marker of sufficient condition when occurring in the protasis clause of conditional sentences. Moreover, when used in imperative sentences to express“humble prayer for the wish of something to come true,”it evolves into the prayer adverb, and the adverb splits into the markers of the sub-constructions of prerequisite condition, exchange condition and non-exceptional condition. The exchange and the nonexceptional sub-constructions are of closed-end type, and gou苟is fixed in the construction and does not interact with the semantics of the context and contextual components to make adjustments. On the contrary, gou苟in the combinatorial type of construction is used as a sufficient or a prerequisite marker in response to the semantics of the context and contextual components. Through analysis from a construction perspective, this article demonstrates an issue of gou苟that has not been touched upon by previous studies; that is, it possesses the functions of indicating both sufficient condition and prerequisite condition. It also argues that the key points and even the end point of grammaticalization do not necessarily result in lexicalization.