| Summary: | (This thesis is divided into 3 portions. Part 1: Chapter 1 – 3, Part 2: chapter 4, Part 3: chapter 5-6). This thesis is an analytical examination of the 672 colloquial words included in the historical Heng Yan Lit by Qian Daxin ( AD1728-1804 ) of the Qing dynasty (AD1644-1911). Synchronically, it studies the internal elements of these colloquial words, and compared their forms and usages as found in a carefully selected list of colloquial literature representing the Ming and Qing dynasties. Diachronically, it traces the archaic forms of these words in texts as early as Dunhuang Bianwen and examines the development in lexical and morphological properties down to modern Chinese. Based on this investigation, it attempts to outline a theory of lexicology and morphological changes for pre-modern Chinese.
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