동사성 형태소 ‘打’의 통시적 변화 연구 — ≪老乞大≫와 ≪朴通事≫를 중심으로

Abstract

This study examines the diachronic development of the verbal morpheme da(打) by analyzing 188 instances in Nogeoldae and Baktongsa, representative texts of Early Modern Chinese, with reference to the Xiandai Hanyu Cidian (现代汉语词典). The findings reveal four major tendencies. First, da was sometimes replaced by other verbs or omitted from compounds. While its productivity contributed to colloquial expansion and the rise of disyllabic words, it disappeared when it failed to secure a stable semantic domain. Second, extension and transformation occurred: da + noun compounds often lexicalized, whereas da + verb compounds developed new abstract or metaphorical meanings. Third, certain usages remained stable across editions, especially those reflecting its original sense or concrete hand actions, which accounted for more than half of all cases. Fourth, in Modern Chinese, da remains highly productive but exhibits semantic narrowing and concentration. Three senses—“to send/emit”, “to strike/attack”, and “to play (a game or sport)”—now dominate, together representing nearly 80% of usage. Although limited to specific editions, the study highlights the dynamic evolution of da and underscores the linguistic value of Nogeoldae and Baktongsa for understanding Chinese lexical history.