Yan shuo 燕說 [Sayings from (the Land of) Yan]

64.5 folding leaves. Four juan in one vol. 8vo, orig. wrappers, orig. block-printed title label on upper cover, orig. stitching. [China]: Privately Published by Zhiyuan 止園, 1867.




First edition of this annotated and classified vocabulary of expressions used in the Hebei region. Shi Menglan (1813-98) was from Leting 樂亭 in present-day Hebei province. Shi had an extensive book collection at his home, which he named Zhiyuan. He achieved renown as a precise scholar of classical exegesis who did not take sides in the debates between the various schools of Qing scholarship. He compiled several works on lexicology, including the present work, Yan shuo. The title refers to the ancient state of Yan, which occupied present-day Beijing, Hebei, and environs.


A number of works from the Qing period record dialect vocabulary from the Hebei region and its exclaves, Beijing and Tianjin. According to Gao Guangxin, with 600 entries, Shi's Yanshuo presents the most extensive collection of all of them. The book is divided into four chapters (juan). The first contains verbs, adjectives, and a few nouns. Chapter two contains expressions referring to movements of the limbs of the body; chapter three cover the heavens, geography, agricultural implements, tools used in everyday life, musical instruments, architecture, and clothing. Chapter four contains words referring to the human body, foodstuffs, and other expressions. Shi has added notes to the entries with quotes from older literature attesting to the use of the words over time. He published the book privately using his imprint Zhiyuan.


Fine copy.



References


Gao Guangxin 高光新. "Qingdai Jing-Jin-Ji fangyan ci gaikuang: Yi Shi Menglan Yanshuo wei canzhao" 清代京津冀方言词概况-以史梦兰《燕说》为参照. Tangshan shifan xueyuan xuebao 31, 1 (2015): 7-9.


Wang Gang 王岗 et al. Zhongguo wenhua shijia: Yan-Zhao, Liaohai juan 中国文化世家 燕赵辽海卷. Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe, 2008.