『조선태종실록』에 수록된 백화문 자료의 해석을 위한 試論 - 태종 5년 9월 庚戌 기사와 태종 9년 8월 甲寅 기사를 중심으로

A Study on the Interpretation of ‘Colloquial Chinese’ materials recorded in the Veritable Records of Joseon Taejong

This paper conducted a detailed examination of certain articles recorded in the Veritable Records of Joseon Taejong(『朝鮮太宗實錄』) to provide a more accurate interpretation. Particularly, this article focused on how to interpret phrases frequently used in the distinctive ‘Direct translation of Mongolian into Chinese’(蒙文直譯體) found in Yuan records and documents. It is important to highlight that such phrases are quite prevalent in the Veritable Records of Joseon Taejong, and thus, attention must be paid to this fact. Since interpretations that cannot be resolved by general classical Chinese translations can sometimes be surprisingly easily clarified by using the ‘Direct translation of Mongolian into Chinese’ approach, further research along the lines of this study is necessary to accurately utilize the ‘Colloquial Chinese’ documents from the early Joseon period. One of the frequently used grammatical expressions in ‘Direct translation of Mongolian into Chinese’ is ‘~(de)shangtou’(~(的)上頭), which means ‘because of~.’ Without knowing this usage, one might end up with erroneous interpretations such as “leader,” “upper head,” or “superior.” Additionally, failing to recognize that ‘~(de) shangtou’ is a postpositional phrase not commonly seen in classical Chinese will naturally lead to errors in punctuation when editing classical texts. Understanding these expressions, often seen in documents from China cited in the Goryeo History(『高麗史』) and the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty, is essential for accurately interpreting related records and utilizing them more effectively in research. Records in ‘Direct translation of Mongolian into Chinese’ can be seen as traces of Yuan administrative documentation left in Goryeo and Joseon. Therefore, it is important to understand the peculiar grammatical issues arising from direct translation of Mongolian into classical Chinese, which frequently appear in records from the late Goryeo and early Joseon periods. This grammar often appears in the emperor’s “verbal edicts,” which are more vivid records of the period as they convey the emperor’s words in their raw form rather than in formal documents. Such records are valuable as sources, but due to their unique grammar, interpretation errors are common, which results in them not being actively used in research. Continuous efforts are needed to address and correct these issues.