华东师范大学(哲学社会科学版) ›› 2012, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (2): 129-132.

• 文史考辨 • 上一篇    下一篇

“南北”“东西”新论

王云路   

  1. 浙江大学古籍所/汉语史中心， 杭州， 310028
  • 出版日期:2012-03-15 发布日期:2012-03-29
  • 通讯作者: 王云路
  • 作者简介:王云路
  • 基金资助:
    本文系国家社科基金项目“汉语词汇的核心义”(06BYY050)的阶段性成果之一。

A New Study on Terms of “South and North” and “East and West”

WANG Yun-Lu   

  • Online:2012-03-15 Published:2012-03-29
  • Contact: WANG Yun-Lu
  • About author: WANG Yun-Lu

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摘要： “东西南北”是最基本的方位，但在汉语中，“东西”与“南北”不仅语用频率不对称，语义演化也相当不同：由于一则古人每天看见东边日出西边落，“东西”距离可直接感知，而“自北极至于南极，二亿三万三千五百里七十五步”，南北距离则更依赖想象；二则古代建筑多坐北朝南，所谓比邻而居，往往是东西相邻，“东邻西舍”等于“左邻右舍”，由此“东西”更易产生“邻近”义：三是古人座位习惯坐北朝南，最宜放置生活物品是座位两侧，也就是东西向，用“东西”代指东西两侧的物品也就很自然。于是，“东西”由“方位”演化出“近旁”，由“近旁”（放物的位置）演化出“物品”；而“南北”则演变出“远距”义。

关键词: &ldquo, 东西&rdquo, &ldquo, 南北&rdquo, 方位词, 演变

Abstract: “East, west, south and north” are the most cardinal points of location. In Chinese language, however, “dong xi” (literally, east west) and “nan bei” (literally, south north) are asymmetrical in their respective used frequency, and their semantic evolutions are quite different as well. The meanings of “dong xi” evolve from “location” to “nearness” and then to “stuff”, while the term of “nan bei” derives from the meaning of “long distance” since there is a distance of 200,033,500 li plus 75 steps between north and south poles in ancients’ imagination.