Abstract
The Blue Cliff Record made its first appearance at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. This book records the introductions (垂示), remarks (著語), and commentaries (評唱) of the Linji 臨濟 School Master Yuanwu Keqin 圓悟克勤(1063-1135), and illustrates the Linji Zen School teaching method, forms of expression, and the gist of Zen. Therefore, the book has long been considered as one of the finest works of Zen literature. In fear of the book being misused (or misinterpreted), Yuanwu Keqin’s disciple Dahui Zonggao 大慧宗杲 (1089-1163) burned the manuscript, resulting in the disappearance of the book in the public eye. This also reduced the influence of The Blue Cliff Record. The Blue Cliff Record not only occupies a pivotal position in Zen studies, but also offers great quantities of Song colloquial materials. This thesis focuses on neologism in The Blue Cliff Record. In Chapter 3, the author investigates the newly-coined compounds from a morphological point of view, demonstrates the lexical structure of the compounds, and offers a general picture of the word-building processes in the Song Dynasty. In light of word formation, Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 conducts a close textual research and interpretation of neologism in The Blue Cliff Record, which includes the study of the following words: babi巴鼻, shoujiao/shouduan手腳/手段, liaowen聊聞, chahu搽胡, coubo湊泊, qi A ba B七A八B, touji投機, qianchui鉗鎚, lubei爐韛, gongan公案, zunhou尊候, piedi瞥地, huoji活計, wuduan無端, lianxian廉纖, manhan顢頇, mengdong懞懂, longtong儱侗, zhuru/qieru只如/且如, biliqianren壁立千仞, biliwanren壁立萬仞and a series of benfen本分words. In addition, this thesis includes a diachronic analysis of some of the aforementioned words, and sorts out new words which pass onto modern vocabulary, but whose meanings have been altered.