英文摘要 |
The character "□" found within oracle bone inscriptions has primarily been recognized as "han"捍 or "rong"戎 according to previous textual research, whereas contemporary scholars tend to interpret it as merely "rong." Based on script classification, the present paper meticulously collates "rong"-related phrases by referring to its usage as a verb and a noun, thereby revealing its chronological evolution (e.g., the dying out of its usage as a verb) and showing its linguistic qualities from a grammatical dimension. In addition, this paper comprehensively analyzes the classification of the senses of "rong" by scholarship, through which the close connection between its senses and verb properties is apprehended. From the aspect of sentence structure, this paper infers that the character "rong" is an intransitive verb used before the object referring to matters and sometimes intermediated by the preposition "ji" 暨. Its verb sense is "to wage a war," while its noun sense is "the object at war" without clearly differentiating between sides of the conflict, including the self. To demonstrate the evolution of "rong," this study not only explains related phrases in oracle bone inscriptions one by one, but also connects it to Western Zhou bronze inscriptions and other documents handed down from ancient times. Finally, this paper articulates the conclusive argument that "rong" had not been used as a name of any tribe or tribal state in the Shang dynasty, since tribal names did not appear until the late Western Zhou dynasty and only became prevalent as late as the Spring and Autumn period. |