Author(s)

Gao Hanyu

Corresponding Author

Gao Hanyu

Abstract

This article has combined the documents of the pre-Qin Dynasty and the unpublished classics to comprehensively sort out the relevant using cases of the meaning of “thinking” in the pre-Qin period. The article summarized the three elements of “future”, “now” and “past” from the perspective of time. In the pre-Qin period, “si” has always been the dominant term of “thinking”. Since then, the division of thoughts of “si”, “nian” and “lv” has become obvious. “nian” and “lv” have withdrawn from the “si” semantics. 0 field, while “wei” has experienced grammaticalization, mainly used as virtual words. “si” is a useful example from the Warring States. Then in Yuan Dynasty, it can be compared with “si”, and modern Chinese, especially in spoken language, it has become the dominant word. There is a processing of “crowding in - coexisting - replacing”in the replacement of “thinking” to “thinking”

Keywords

”thinking” meaning; Pre-qin; Synchronic distribution; Diachronic evolution