古文字所謂「閒」「外」通諧說辨議

An Analysis of the Phono-Semantic and Phonetic Loan Character Relationship between Jian閒and Wai外in Chinese Paleography

「閒」和「外」都是古今漢語表示方位的常用字詞。由於學界對「閒（間）」「外」及相關字諧聲通假關係判斷不一，以致對相關的文獻釋讀造成了不少困擾。古文字研究中，「閒、□」諧「月、外」聲就是當前頗為流行的看法，文獻考據實踐中亦多被採用。
事實上，「閒」「□」都是純粹的會意字，所从「月」和「外」皆有表意。「外」無「閒」音，亦非「□（閒）」省。戰國文字如「□」「□」等都應視作「外」的累增字，與「□（閒）」無關。「□」字另有來源，非「□」的省聲字。楚文字「□」是「□」之省，「□」非「□」之訛，它更可能是「閒」增益「刀」旁的分化字。
本文還對相關的十餘組案例細加考辨，認為：(1)包山、新蔡、天星觀、夏家臺等楚地卜筮簡及《日書》中所見「外有不順」「少外有慼」「少有外言慼」「外喪」「外鬼」等的「外」都是方位詞「外」；(2)秦封泥地名「河外」與「河閒」「河內」相對，「外」也指方位；(3)清華簡《趙簡子》「車甲外」指戎事在外；(4)上博簡《卉茅之外》的詩旨與為政有關，「卉茅之外」字面義是人身在草茅之外，言下義是為政者疏離了民間；(5)清華簡《邦家之政》「其位授能而不（外）」是說授官給有才能的人而不疏遠他；(6)上博簡《武王踐阼》「士難得而易（外）」是說才士難以招致且容易疏遠；(7)車名「□」可能是外用之車的專字，可指戎用之車；(8)清華簡《禱辭》「使此邑之□（閒）于厲疾」義謂使曾孫某之邑免遭厲疾之害；(9)上博簡《用曰》「內（納）□（閒）□（誅）眾」是說接納閒人而誅責眾人；(10)清華簡《鄭文公問太伯》地名「伊」是分別指「伊」「澗」兩地，等等。
經此全面辨析得以更加明確，「閒、□、□、□」與「月、外」不存在諧聲通假關係，兩組字的糾葛可以徹底釐清。

Both jian閒and wai外are commonly used in ancient and modern Chinese to indicate orientation. As the academic community holds different conclusions concerning the relation between the phono-semantics and phonetic loan characters among閒(jian間),外, and related characters, however, difficulties have persisted in the interpretation of pertinent texts. In the study of ancient Chinese characters, yue月and外being the phonetic symbols of閒and jian□, respectively, is the current popular view and thus mostly used in textual research.
In fact, both閒and□are syssemantographs, in which月and外are semantographic symbols. The character外is neither the pronunciation of閒, nor the abbreviated signific of□(閒). Certain characters from the Warring States period such as wai□and wai□should be considered differentiated characters of外and are unrelated to□(閒). The character jian□, which is not the abbreviated signific of jian□, has another source. Moreover, the Chu character jian□is the abbreviated signific of jian□, whereas□is not an erroneous character of□but more likely a differentiated character of閒with the addition of the semantographic symbol dao刀.
This paper also examines more than ten related cases and argues the following: (1) In the Chu bamboo and wooden slips on divination from Baoshan, Xincai, Tianxingguan, and Xiajiatai, as well as in Rishu日書(lit. Day Book), the character外in the phrases“wai you bu shun”外有不順,“shao wai you qi”少外有慼,“shao you wai yanqi”少有外言慼,“waisang”外喪, and“waigui”外鬼all refer to direction. (2) The place name“Hewai”河外, as seen in the Qin dynasty sealing strips sealed with clay, is the counterpart of both“Hejian”河閒and“Henei”河內, where外also refers to direction. (3) The phrase“chejia wai”車甲外found in Zhao Jianzi趙簡子of the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips refers to military affairs being“outside.”(4) The poetic aim of the work Cao mao zhiwai卉茅之外in the bamboo slips of the Shanghai Museum is related to governance as the literal meaning of the name of the poem is being“outside”the grass and thatch, implying that the ruler is alienated from the people. (5) The phrase“qi wei shou neng er bu wai”其位授能而不外from Bangjia zhi zheng邦家之政in the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips means one should confer official positions to those capable and do not alienate them. (6) The phrase“shi nan de er yi wai”士難得而易外found in Wuwang jianzuo武王踐阼of the Shanghai Museum collection of bamboo slips connotes that talented people are difficult to recruit and easy to alienate. (7) The name□is likely a specific term for vehicles to be used outside and can also refer to vehicles used for military purposes. (8) The phrase“shi ci yi zhi jian yu liji”使此邑之閒于厲疾in Daoci禱辭of the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips means to save the village of a great-grandson from severe illness. (9) The phrase“na jian zhu zhong”納閒誅眾from Yong yue用曰in the Shanghai Museum collection refers to the acceptance of the contemptible who use falsities to drive people apart and the condemnation of the others. (10) Finally, the place name“Yijian”伊□in Zheng Wengong wen Taibo鄭文公問太伯from the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips indicates the two places“Yi”伊and“Jian”澗, respectively.
After such comprehensive analysis, it becomes more evident that there is not a phono-semantic or phonetic loan character relationship between the group of characters閒,□,□,□and□with月and外, thereby clarifying the contestation over the two groups.