여성관련 漢字를 통해 본 중국의 혼인제도와 이에 따른 여성의 지위변화

Abstract

This study considered ancient China’s female culture by looking into the changes of marriage system, change in the perception of male and female and Chinese character that sociocultural concept is projected, and understanding of feminine principle inherent in the above. In the communal marriage which was made within the boundary of clan society period, female, as the main agent of childbirth and parenting, was a cult figure who plays a positive role in primitive society and such feminine principle was reflected in goddess ‘媧’. During the Communal marriage which was made between different clans times, it was possible to infer feminine principle in matriarchal society from ‘姓’ which was the standard in classifying blood relatives and ‘后’ that controlled blood relatives with the Great Mother. Pairing which was made between different clans was not perfectly fixed, but a type of marriage that maintained marital relation with one spouse for a certain period of time, which created the concept of father-son relationship. Because female’s childbirth and parenting activities and domiciliary activities were not disdained compared to male’s social activities, feminine principle in respect of such female allness was reflected in ‘女’and ‘母’. Marriage by capture and Purchasing marriage in the early patriarchal society are the transitional forms of marriage between maternal and paternal lines. Male’s authority which was heightened by stabilized economic activities and wars enabled males to possess female through plunder and sales in leading position and feminine principle according to such socioeconomic development was reflected in letters such as ‘娶’, ‘婚’ and ‘嫁’. In the Monogamy period, female was degenerated into the position obeying to male and subordinated to the boundary of household. There used to be ‘妻’ which corresponds to male who dominates within the household and female ‘妾’ who was treated like a slave. ‘婦’ which referred to an adult woman became a female that the role as both wife and daughter-in-law is emphasized.