Xiao Erya: a preliminary study of the dictionary

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to analyze and define characteristics of the ancient Chinese dictionary “Xiao Erya”, which is the earliest one compiled after the first Chinese dictionary “Erya”. Owing to its limited vocabulary and disputable authenticity of origin, “Xiao Erya” has never been as widely recognized as the “Erya”. The researchers used to limit their studies to specific issues, for example, the origin of the dictionary or its brief description. In addition, the scientific interest to the “Xiao Erya” is being warmed up by lasting debates on its authorship and dating issues. However, detailed lexicographic analysis of this thesaurus has never been carried out up to the present day. As for Russian Sinology, “Xiao Erya” has hardly ever become the subject of the fundamental and systematic research. Meanwhile, it is of current interest as one of the earliest Chinese thesauruses, continuing the tradition started by the “Erya”. The present article focuses on its format and compiling style in comparison with the “Erya”. The author concludes that the “Xiao Erya” system of lexical items organization as well as the ways of their interpreting and defining in general have been inherited from its predecessor “Erya”. At the same time, the dictionary’s macro-structure obviously has evolved showing the beginning of the transformation of Chinese thesaurus structure.

Keywords:

“Xiao Erya”, “Erya”, ancient Chinese thesaurus dictionary, macrostructure, thematic layout, microstructure, features of the dictionary entries