Chen Di
Encyclopedia
Chen Di (1541 - 1617), courtesy name: Jili (季立), was a Chinese
philologist
, strategist, and traveler of the Ming Dynasty
. A native of Fujian
, he was versed in both pen and sword. As a strategist, he served under Qi Jiguang
and others for many years before retiring to occupy himself with studies and travel. As a traveler, in his 1603 Dong Fan Ji (東番記) he provides the first descriptions of the island of Taiwan
and its indigenous inhabitants. As a philologist, he was the first to demonstrate that Old Chinese
has its own phonological system, refuting the then prevailing practice of xieyin (諧音) (i.e. changing the usual reading of a character in a Shi Jing
poem in order to suit the rhyme
). Encouraged by his senior Jiao Hong (焦竑) (1540-1620), he wrote Maoshi Guyin Kao (毛詩古音考) and Qusong Guyinyi (屈宋古音義), in which he shows the ancient pronunciations (by homophones) of 650 characters. The results are based on painstaking analysis of the rhyming schemes in Shi Jing and other ancient rhymed texts, including I Ching
and the poems of Qu Yuan
. In his preface to the former work, Chen writes famously: "There is the past and the present; there is the north and the south. It is only inevitable that characters evolve, and sounds change." (蓋時有古今，地有南北；字有更革，音有轉移，亦勢所必至。)
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
philologist
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
, strategist, and traveler of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. A native of Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, he was versed in both pen and sword. As a strategist, he served under Qi Jiguang
Qi Jiguang
Qi Jiguang was a Chinese military general and national hero during the Ming Dynasty. He was best remembered for his courage and leadership in the fight against Japanese pirates along the east coast of China, as well as his reinforcement work on the Great Wall of China.-Early life:Qi Jiguang was...
and others for many years before retiring to occupy himself with studies and travel. As a traveler, in his 1603 Dong Fan Ji (東番記) he provides the first descriptions of the island of Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and its indigenous inhabitants. As a philologist, he was the first to demonstrate that Old Chinese
Old Chinese
The earliest known written records of the Chinese language were found at a site near modern Anyang identified as Yin, the last capital of the Shang dynasty, and date from about 1200 BC....
has its own phonological system, refuting the then prevailing practice of xieyin (諧音) (i.e. changing the usual reading of a character in a Shi Jing
Shi Jing
The Classic of Poetry , translated variously as the Book of Songs, the Book of Odes, and often known simply as its original name The Odes, is the earliest existing collection of Chinese poems and songs. It comprises 305 poems and songs, with many range from the 10th to the 7th centuries BC...
poem in order to suit the rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
). Encouraged by his senior Jiao Hong (焦竑) (1540-1620), he wrote Maoshi Guyin Kao (毛詩古音考) and Qusong Guyinyi (屈宋古音義), in which he shows the ancient pronunciations (by homophones) of 650 characters. The results are based on painstaking analysis of the rhyming schemes in Shi Jing and other ancient rhymed texts, including I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
and the poems of Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan
Qu Yuan was a Chinese poet who lived during the Warring States Period in ancient China. He is famous for his contributions to the poetry collection known as the Chu-ci...
. In his preface to the former work, Chen writes famously: "There is the past and the present; there is the north and the south. It is only inevitable that characters evolve, and sounds change." (蓋時有古今，地有南北；字有更革，音有轉移，亦勢所必至。)