Epigraphy Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This dissertation aims to decipher the consonants system of Old Korean in Baekje which is based upon the phonological correspondences of Sinographic readings which can be attested in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese chronicles, epigraphs and wooden tablets.
Chapter Ⅰ firstly discusses the histrory of phonological studies on Old Korean in Baekje from the late of 19th century to the contemporary era which can be divided into two phases: The Embryonic Phase (1879~1970) and The Development Phase (1971~). The Embryonic Phase started with the toponymy research of Korean Peninsula by Japanese scholars during the Japanese colonial period. The Development Phase (1971~) was initiated by the publications of Baekjemunhwa, Baekjeyeongu, MahanBaekjemunhwa in South Korea, mostly including some short introductory papers, Samguksaki(1145) Jiriji based studies, Nihonshoi(720) based studied, and all chronicles combined studies, epigraphs and wooden tablets based studies.
Secondly, the detailed methodologies are proposed, which include the background of history studies on Baekje; the background of historical linguistics which is the theoretical basis of the phonological correspondences of Sinographic readings in lexicons of Old Korean in Baekje; the entire sequence of this study including the textual research of all first-hand materials, the collection of all Baekjeic lexicons and phonographic morphemes, the match-made of the phonological correspondences of Sinographic readings in Old Korean in Baekje, based on archaeological, historical, toponymy studies, and the phonological analysis of Sinographic readings.
In Chapter Ⅱ, textual research was carried out thoroughly. The materials used include all Baekjeic first-hand materials of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Chronicles from the late 3rd century to 13th century, as well as epigraph materials and wooden tablets in both China and Korea. Also, Old Korean Proper Nouns such as place names, personal names, and Kings names were collected to pick out all phonographs of Old Korean in Baekje for phonological analysis in the phonological correspondences of Sinographic readings.
Moreover, to decipher the consonants system of Old Korean in Baekje, the explanations of all phonographs in Guangyun are based on Yu(2008), the Chinese phonological systems include the Minimal Old Chinese, Late Han, Middle Chinese which are mainly based on the reconstructions in Schuessler(2009). The historical Korean phonological systems include Old Korean, Middle Korean, Middle Sino-Korean which are mainly based on the studies of Park(1971), Lee(1972, 1998, 2011), Lee(1995), Kwon(1997ㄴ, 2005, 2009ㄱ, 2009ㄴ), Ito(2007). The historical Japanese systems include archaic kana orthography studies, Old Japanese and Ko-on, Go-on and Kan-on of Sino-Japanese which are mainly based on ōya(1911), Vovin(2009), Miyake(2003a), Frellesvig(2010), Tsukishima(1995), Numoto(1986, 1997).
At last in Chapter Ⅱ, there are 7 consonants as initials in a syllable that can be deciphered: voiceless bilabial plosive **p-, voiceless alveolar dental **t-, voiceless velar **k-, bilabial nasal **m-, alveolar dental nasal **n-, voiceless alveolar dental fricative **s-, and voiceless alveolar affricate **ts-. The oppositions of voicing and the oppositions of aspiration cannot be attested. The glottal initial /ʔ/ which is reconstructed in Middle Chinese is deciphered as Zero **Ø in the phonographs of Baekje.
Chapter Ⅲ deciphers the consonant **-r- as a liquid that can be attested between syllables, instead of an initial consonant or coda in a word. And the elimination of /-r-/ as a special phonological change is well attested in old Korean lexicons including Baekje’s.
Chapter Ⅳ deciphers the consonants **-l, **-s, **-n, **-ŋ as coda in a syllable in Old Korean in Baekje. Moreover, the lateral **-l is explained as the elimination of vowel V2 and the unrelease of C2 in a C1V1.C2V2 word structure. And unreleased voiceless alveolar dental fricative **-s is explained as the elimination of vowel V2 and the unrelease of C2 in a C1V1.C2V2 type word or as a genitive case between two words. The change of syllabic structural in C1V1.C2V2 type word is explained as a result of language contact with Chinese and Chinese characters whose syllabic structure is (C)(G)VC.
Chapter Ⅴ concludes with an appeal for the trilateral cooperation from Chinese, Korean and Japanese historical phonology studies which include the sounds of Old, Late Han, Middle Chinese, Sino-Korean studies, and Sino-Japanese studies, as well as the interdisciplinary work on Archaeology, History, Toponymy to decipher the phonological systems of Old Korean. Meanwhile, the limitations of this study which include recriticizing all first-hand materials, reevaluating and developing the methodology in old Korean phonology studies are reflected. Finally the future research outlook on old Korean studies is put forward reasonably.