‘七’, ‘八’의 문화적 함의와 ‘七X八Y’와의 연계성 小考

Abstract

This paper tried to find a connection between the meaning expressed by ‘七X八Y' and the meaning of the numbers ‘七(Qi)’ and ‘八(Ba)’. In order to overcome the limitations of past studies and find a connection between the meanings conveyed by ‘七X八Y’, starting from the original meaning of oracle bone script ‘七(Qi)’ and ‘八(Ba)’, various cultural implications were examined. ‘七(Qi)’ and ‘八(Ba)’ have the meanings of ‘切(cut)’ and ‘分(divide)’ respectively in the oracle bone script. ‘cut’ and ‘divide’ are both separation-cut verbs that have the semantic quality of [+separation] in common. As an anthroposophical association, if the act of separation is repeated, it is transferred to the meaning of dispersal. Thus, the concept of ‘separation’ is linked to ‘dispersion’. In ‘七X八Y’, ‘X’ and ‘Y’ basically refer to things, conveying the meaning that things are scattered, but in more cases, size, height, length, shape, topography, body type, mind, spirit, language appear. Through the derivation process of ‘separation’ and ‘dispersion’, these abstract objects convey meanings such as ‘untidy’, ‘confused’, ‘jagged’, ‘uneven’, ‘uneven’, ‘messy’, etc. In addition, ‘七(Qi)’ and ‘八(Ba)’ also have the meaning of the direction. The expression conveyed by ‘七X八Y’ corresponds to the meaning of ‘here and there’(‘this and that’ etc) Other than that, some expression are related to Buddhism and the principle of circulation in the world, and if they cannot be interpreted with the cultural implications of numbers, they can be interpreted in terms of subjective meaning of ‘many’. Therefore, the beginning of the meaning conveyed by ‘七X八Y’ can start from the original meaning of ‘七(Qi)’ and ‘八(Ba)’, and derived from the original meaning 1) separation and dispersion from concrete objects to abstract objects 2) spatial separation and dispersion (direction) and 3) temporal separation and dispersion (world circulation principle).