A Study on the Etymological Origin of Ganzhe'Sugarcane'
Zhe柘,a name of sugarcane,appeared first in the pre-Qin literature Chuci 楚辞.Since then,the various Chinese terms for sugarcane include zhe 柘,zhu藷,zhe 蔗,zhuzhe諸柘,ganzhe(甘干)(甘庶),ganzhe 邯(甘者),duzhe 都蔗,zhuzhe 藷蔗,ganzhe 竿蔗,and ganzhe 甘蔗,and the name ganzhe甘蔗'sugarcane'has been in use since the Han dynasty.In this article,we compare the names of ganzhe'sugarcane'in various historical periods and the words for'sugarcane'in Sanskrit,Tibeto-Burman,Kam-Tai,Hmong-Mien and Mon-Khmer,and then propose that the Chinese word ganzhe'sugarcane'is a derivative from the Chinese loanword of Sanskrit śarkarā'cane sugar',and the derivative is based on sound similarity of the Xiesheng谐声 series.Ganzhe and shimi石蜜'stone honey'are loanwords from the same etymological origin.The diachronic evolution of the names for ganzhe in Chinese reflects a gradual deepening of the cognition and understanding of ganzhe by the Han people,while the synchronic distribution of the names for'sugarcane'in the ethnic minority languages conveys the historical layers of the cultural contact and exchanges between and among the various ethnic groups.
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