嶽麓書院藏秦簡에 보이는 形近易混 현상 분석 - 朱와 未의 자례를 중심으로

An Analysis of Graphically Similar and Easily Confused Characters in the Yuelu Academy Collection of Qin Bamboo Slips - Focusing on the Cases of zhū (朱) and wèi (未)

秦 사회의 법률, 제도, 문화 등을 이해하는데 중요한 출토 문헌인 嶽麓書院藏秦簡은 2174매라는 방대한 양 만큼이나 죽간이 담고 있는 내용 역시 상당히 풍부하고 연구 가치가 높다. 이러한 嶽麓秦簡을 제대로 이해하기 위해서는 簡文에 대한 정확한 考釋이 반드시 전제되어야 한다. 그런데 嶽麓秦簡에는 글자의 자형이 비슷하여 혼용되는 形近混用 현상이 자주 발견되며 이는 嶽麓秦簡의 고석에 장애 요인이 되곤 한다. 본고는 ‘朱’와 ‘未’, 두 개의 形近字의 자형변천 과정에 대해 통시적·공시적 분석을 진행하고, 秦簡에서 이 두 글자가 어떤 뜻으로 사용되었는지 정리해 보았다. 이를 토대로 ‘朱’와 ‘未’, 두 글자가 嶽麓秦簡에 쓰여질 당시 形近混用되어 잘못 서사된 경우는 없는지, 혹은 출토 후 잘못 考釋된 자례는 없는지에 대해 집중적으로 분석해 보았다.

This study analyzes the phenomenon of graphic similarity and character confusion between zhū (朱) and wèi (未) as observed in Volumes I through VII of the Yuelu Academy Collection of Qin Bamboo Slips. A total of 35 instances of zhū (朱) and 114 of wèi (未) were identified in the Yuelu Academy Qin Bamboo Slips, and their characteristics of graphical forms were examined. Through this analysis, the study identified the predominant calligraphic styles that can be regarded as the standard forms of each character. The predominant calligraphic style of zhū (朱) consists of adding a single horizontal stroke to the center of mù (木), whereas that of the wèi (未) consists either of adding two curved strokes to the top of mù (木) to represent branches, or of writing the part representing branches as two parallel horizontal strokes. However, it was confirmed that three instances of zhū (朱) and four instances of wèi (未) in the Yuelu Academy Qin Bamboo Slips do not conform to these characteristic features. To accurately interpret these characters, this study examined the historical development of the graphical forms and semantic functions of zhū (朱) and wèi (未). Based on this analysis, the study presents the following findings. The character zhū (朱) in Yuelu (II) Shuai 0983 and Yuelu (II) Zu 0835 is best interpreted as zhū, in accordance with the interpretation provided by the original editors of the Yuelu Academy Qin Bamboo Slips, and appears to be a scribal error by the scribe who copied the text. The character zhū (朱) in Yuelu (VI) 1693 is faint in form, and it might be reinterpreted as a different character if additional Qin bamboo slips were to be discovered in the future. However, a comparison with the content of the related slips suggests that the scribe likely made a transcriptional error, mistakenly writing zhū (朱) in place of mù (木). The character wèi (未) found in four bamboo slips - Yuelu (I) Meng 1517, Yuelu (I) Zhi 0068, Yuelu (VI) J67-2 + J66-2 (with other associated slips), and Yuelu (VII) 0367 is appropriately interpreted as wèi, in accordance with the judgment of the original editors. These instances are likely the result of scribal errors. Based on the above analysis, it is evident that during the period in which the Yuelu Academy Qin Bamboo Slips were written, the Qin characters zhū (朱) and wèi (未) shared similar graphical forms, often leading to confusion between them.