止攝 之韻의 중고음에 대하여

Abstract

The aim of this study is to verify the validity of my reconstruction Zhi rhyme(之韻) [ əi] and [iəi] in Zhi rhyme group(止攝), using the literature on Sino-Korean, Manyō Kana or Japanese phonetic alphabet, Sino-Vietnamese and Sino-Tibetan. To sum up, the following grounds can be considered : (1) In fourth division all the initials in Zhi rhyme except apical sibilants that have something to do with Pre-Ancient Chinese are /이/ in Sino-Korean, whereas in third division especially velars and laryngeals are /의/. The fact that Sino-Korean has vowel /으/ of final /의/ in velars and laryngeals implies it had central vowel in Ancient Chinese. ; (2) In third division except velars that have the other /i/ or /ï/ in Manyō Kana, all the other initials are /i/ in Zhi rhyme, and in fourth division all the initials are /i/. However, in Pre-Ancient Chinese Manyō Kanas as 思里已 are /sö/·/rö/·/yö/, that is, the other /o/ or /ö/, which means that vowels in Zhi rhyme are strong and central [ə]. In Ancient Chinese the weakening of [ə] in [ əi] and [iəi] may be suitable for /ï/. ; (3) In Sino-Vietnamese and Sino-Tibetan the third and fourth divisions are rendered as /i/ in all the initials except dentals’s [ɯ] in Sino-Vietnamese. The fact tells us two assumptions: vowel might be weak and ending [i]. In Sino-Vietnamese we can trace the vowel [ə] in Zhi rhyme that may be rendered in Pre-Ancient Chinese.