피휘(避諱)에 관한 연구

A Study of 'Stupid Words'

Characters are the tool of writing language. In particular, Chinese characters were the tool of communicating, storing and intermediating information in Chinese traditional medicine, and exercised great influence on diseases, diagnoses, treatments and others. Stupid Words are used to avoid calling the name of an emperor or an elder. The Stupid Words, written in old literature, were mostly used to avoid calling the name of emperors in those days. At first, those were used to express respect, but with time, the rule began to be strict. Those who violate the rule were dismissed or expelled; what is worse, even their families were exterminated. Medical books were no exception to the rule. The history of Stupid Words is originated from primitive society. Those were begun to be used customarily, and were institutionalized over time. Although dynasties had been changed in large numbers in history, Stupid Words were not disappeared and had been used until feudalism rings down the curtain. In addition, the characteristics of Stupid Words became different as to each age, and exercised great influence on old literature. The Stupid Words in Chinese traditional medicine are shown in herbal names, authors' names, terminologies, symptomatological names and others. Through Stupid Words, the date of publication can be presumed, and pleonasms can be discriminated from lacunae, and it can be judged whether those works are true or not. On the other hand, those cause inconvenience philologically. The Stupid Words in old medical books became different semantically throughout the years, and so the original became difficult to be translated as well as its meaning cannot be communicated correctly. Eventually, time and effort are expended unnecessarily in some cases.