ERYA: A GLOSSARY RESOURCE FOR THE STUDY OF CHINESE AND OLD SINO-VIETNAMESE VOCABULARY

Abstract

Erya is the earliest exegetical glossary in China, holding a special place in the traditions of Confucian Classics study and xiaoxue (“preliminary learning”), and is regarded as an important tool for researching the vocabulary of Ancient Chinese. This article presents the background of its formation, the structure and content of Erya, and its characteristics, thereby assessing the work’s value in studying Ancient Chinese and Old Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary. Based on textual research and historical investigation, the study determines that Erya was formed from exegetical materials dating from the middle to late Warring States period, and was refined and completed in the Western Han period. The materials in Erya include explanations of both conceptual meanings and contextual meanings of archaic words. In addition, the analysis points out several cases where Old Sino-Vietnamese words can be traced back through Erya, such as words belonging to the rhyme groups YE, ZHENG, and YANG, suggesting directions for research into the historical phonology and vocabulary of Chinese–Vietnamese. At the same time, this study also aims to contribute supplementary data and approaches for exploring the value of exegetical glossaries in both Sinology and Vietnamese Studies.