This study attempts to propose several criteria for examining the typology of Old Chinese, with a particular focus on determining what kind of language type the Warring States Chu slips represent. By applying the diagnostic tools suggested in this study, we can both acquire a way of observing language types and establish an objective method for linguistic analysis. First, the study argues that Old Chinese in certain respects shows features of a “split-ergative system,” and it deduces the language type by looking at the personal pronouns in the Chu slips. Next, in order to determine whether the Chu slips of the Warring States period indeed represent a split-ergative language, the study sets up five basic criteria of observation: (1) person (animacy or definiteness); (2) tense and aspect (the verbal domain); (3) the autonomy of the verb phrase (the domain of semantics); (4) other methods for detecting language type; and (5) patient-subject constructions. By applying this set of observations, the study presents actual examples of the language type found in the Chu slips and tests the effectiveness of the method.

目 錄
1.引言
2.上古漢語語言類型分析的判斷標準
    2.1 人身代詞①的出現位置
    2.2 時態標誌
    2.3 語意範疇
    2.4 應用語言類型的幾種理論
    2.5 受事主語句
3.結語

• 申世利(韓國慶星大學中國學系助教授) | Se-ri SHIN