Explication of pairs with antonymous, synonymous and adjacent relations between components using the first chapter of the treatise “Huang-di nei jing. Su wen” as a case study (part 2)

Abstract

Researchers and practitioners studying traditional Chinese medicine often encounter difficulties in interpreting ancient texts; among the problems most frequently noted are ambiguous words and meanings and the abundance of specialised, outdated vocabulary. With regard to the treatise Huang-di nei jing. Su wen, there is a substantial body of research on its medical aspects, whereas works devoted specifically to its philological analysis are relatively few. The aim of this paper is to clarify the original meaning of key terms using the first chapter of Huang-di nei jing. Su wen as a case study. This article proposes a method for analysing terms based on the approaches of V.S. Spirin and A.M. Karapetyants. The method involves a step-by-step structural analysis of the text, the identification of parallel constructions, the explication of pairs with antonymous, synonymous and adjacent relations between components, and the subsequent classification of each pair. This approach makes it possible not only to analyse the structure of Chinese texts, but also to develop a more systematic way of interpreting ancient medical texts in general. The proposed method can be applied to other ancient Chinese texts, both medical and philosophical, and can contribute to the development of communication studies by promoting a more accurate understanding of the information reflected in ancient texts.

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