Formal Patterns and Meaning Boundaries:A Study on the Chapter Division of Han and Tang Inscriptions
The Han and Tang periods were important eras in the development of ancient Chinese stone inscriptions.Numerous styles and genres of inscriptions originated and took shape during this period,influencing later generations.In Han and Tang stone inscriptions,there is a prominent formal feature where prose prefaces in regular text are not divided into chapters,while rhymed parts are divided into chapters.Scholars have noticed this phenomenon in the past but only observed it as a common practice without fully understanding its origins,variations,types,functions and significance.The extensive excavation and publication of Han and Tang stone inscriptions have provided ample data support for reevaluating this phenomenon.There are primarily three methods of dividing chapters in Han and Tang stone inscriptions:first,the use of markers like"其一"("its first"),"其二"("its second"),and so on;second,the use of spacing,line breaks,indentations,and formatting to indicate chapter divisions;and third,a combination of these two methods.Each of these chapter division methods has its literary origins and has undergone changes and standardization.Specifically,the use of markers like"其一"finds its roots in the Book of Songs,with early evidence of this writing style dating back to the Warring States period on bamboo slips.It became a standardized format for inscriptions after the Eastern Han dynasty's Xiping Stone Classics edition of the Songs of Lu.The spacing,line breaks,and formatting method for chapter division can be traced back to oracle bone script,bronze inscriptions,and writings on bamboo slips from the Warring States period.It started to appear in Qin and Han stone inscriptions and became more common in inscriptions from the Southern and Northern Dynasties period onwards.In general,the use of markers like"其一"for chapter division is the core form in Han and Tang stone inscriptions,but from the late Tang dynasty onwards,the use of spacing and formatting to indicate chapters gradually gained popularity.The division of chapters in Han and Tang stone inscriptions is the result of multiple factors,with practicality and literary considerations being the two main functions.During the stone inscription-making process,the arrangement and carving of text on stone were of paramount importance.Inscription-making became increasingly specialized during the Han and Tang periods,with the emergence of"text arrangers"during the Tang dynasty.Compared to prose inscriptions,rhymed inscriptions had neater sentence structures,making text arrangement more convenient,hence the ease of implementing the chapter division format.From a literary perspective,dividing chapters in stone inscriptions served the need to distinguish units of meaning within rhymed inscriptions.The meaning units in rhymed inscriptions were more scattered and ambiguous,making it essential to indicate these boundaries through chapter division.Additionally,early stone inscriptions were transmitted through oral recitation,and for reciters and listeners,the position of rhymes and their pronunciation were crucial.Chapter division served the purpose of accurately conveying the sound information.The division of chapters in Han and Tang stone inscriptions inherited and developed ancient Chinese literary writing forms and reflected a conscious process of literary awareness and cultural continuity in the medieval period.It holds significance in both Chinese literary studies and literary history,and it can also be valuable for comparative studies of literary forms and literary concepts between the East and West.
Han and Tang inscriptionschapter divisionannotationstypesetting
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