Leizi（擂子）in the Huanggang（黄冈）Dialect

Sun Yuwen

（Peking University）

Abstract: In Huanggang（黄冈）dialect, the zi is a tool for removing the chaff of rice like a mill, and has now disappeared.This article examines the source of“”in zi.First of all, it shows what kind of tool zi is, and then, according to“sound plus meaning”method, finds out that in Guang yun（广韵）and Ji Yun（集韵）, only the words li（砺）and lei（擂，攂，）conform to“”in sound and meaning; then the comparison of dialects shows that the source of the word“”is lei（擂，攂，）.This article makes a historical investigation of the origin and development of the apparatus for removing the chaff of rice in the Han nationality area and of the evolution of related cultural words. The study shows that the comparison of the dialects is very important to determine the source of a dialectical word.If we only rely on one specific dialect and do not compare different dialects, the conclusion will be unreliable even the sound and meaning correspond quite well. When using ancient records to study ancient dialects, careful investigation is necessary.

Keywords: Huanggang（黄冈）dialect; zi; source word; leizi（擂子）