近代漢音借詞“선비”考

The Etymology of “선비”

It is widely believed that “선비”, a word which means (Confucian) “scholar” or “literati” originated from “션ᄇᆡ” which first appeared in Yongbi-eocheonga(龍飛御天歌，1447). The word “션ᄇᆡ” is usually categorized as a native Korean word in most dictionaries but 蕭悅寧(2014) had pointed out that it is actually a loanword from Early Mandarin. Based on this previous study, we are going to prove in this article that “션븨”——the earlier form of “선비”——is not a form that came from “션ᄇᆡ” directly. “션ᄇᆡ” is a word borrowed from “先輩” which means “senior” and “literati” at the same time and it is pronounced it the Sino-Korean(韓國漢字音) way. A new form, “션븨” which is brought in from “先輩”'s Early Mandarin pronunciation */siɛn pei/ appeared later. Both “션ᄇᆡ” and “션븨” were used in a certain period. After that “션ᄇᆡ” changed into “선배” according to the common rule of phonological changes in Sino-Korean system while “션븨” became “선비”. By providing evidences found in dictionaries like Chohak-yoseon(初學要選,1918）——which show that the Chinese words “儒”or“士”(scholar) were explained as “션배”, we come to the conclusion that “선비” is a loanword from Early Mandarin and it is not a form that came from “션ᄇᆡ” directly.

有關韓語“선비”一詞的來源，韓國學界向來將其視爲固有詞，即使提到其與漢字詞“先輩”或有關聯，一般也采取模棱兩可的態度，未能確定其借詞的身份。筆者曾於蕭悅寧（2014）中明確指出“선비”借自“先輩”一詞的近代漢音，並從音韻和詞義兩方面予以論證。然而，對於朝鮮時代諺解文獻裡“션븨”和“션ᄇᆡ”兩種詞形共存的現象，筆者當時未能給出較圓滿的解釋，僅認爲“션ᄇᆡ”的“ᄇᆡ”是受“輩”字的韓國漢字音影響而一時出現的詞形，隨後即被“션븨”所替代。 本文在確認“션븨”爲近代漢音借詞的前提下，根據後世文獻所提供的綫索，對此前提出的論述進行修正與補充。首先，“先輩”一詞進入韓語時應該是兼具“前輩”與“儒士”兩種含義的。兩者在諺解文獻中均作“션ᄇᆡ”。爾後，受“先輩”的近代漢音/siɛn pei/影響而出現“션븨”這一詞形，並在一段時期内與“션ᄇᆡ”共存。之後，“션ᄇᆡ”輾轉變成今日之“선배”，“션븨”則演變爲“선비”。 此處要提出的新見解是：“션ᄇᆡ”和“션븨”未必如目前韓國學界的一般看法那樣屬於音韻演變的繼承關係。換言之，“션ᄇᆡ”並沒有直接變成“션븨”。因“션ᄇᆡ”並非固有詞，且當時的朝鮮人亦對此有所認知，故其韻母“ㆎ”沒有像固有詞“말ᄆᆡ>말믜[由]”的音韻演變那樣變成“ㅢ”，而是變成了“ㅐ”。因此，“션ᄇᆡ”的“直系後裔”不是“션븨”，而是“션배”。這一點可在≪新字典≫（1915）和≪初學要選≫（1918）的“儒”等詞條中出現“션배”一詞得到印證。