将“肝系”一词纳入中医术语体系的建议

探讨中医术语“肝”的起源与演变,可以发现“肝”的“能指/所指”关系发生过多次转移:物质实体→功能概念→物质实体。“肝”的组合关系和聚合关系,揭示了“肝”的意义指向,以及在整个符号系统中的地位。“肝”的隐喻和转喻同样揭示的是组合关系和聚合关系,隐喻的基础是相似,转喻的基础是相近,以此可以说明中医“肝”概念的形成过程。从历时上考察,“肝”的所指存在混乱和边界不清的情况。在目前中医药术语规范体系中,尚缺乏一个重要术语“肝系”。“肝系”一词的使用,具有词频和理据两方面的合理性,且具有较强的区分度和解释功能。“心系”“脾系”“肺系”“肾系”等同级别名词也应相应增加,才符合系统性。

Suggestions on Incorporating the Word “Gan System” into the Terminology System of TCM

While discussing the origin and evolution of the term “liver” in TCM, we can find that the relationship between “signifier/signified” of “liver” has been transferred many times: material entity→function→material entity. The syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations of “liver”, reveal the direction of meaning of “liver” and its position in the whole symbol system. The metaphor and metonymy of “liver”, also reveal its syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations. Metaphor is based on similarity, metonymy is based on proximity, and thus can explain the formation of the concept of “liver” in TCM. According to the diachronic investigation, the signified of “liver” is confused and its boundary is not clear. In the current standard system of TCM terms, there is still a lack of an important term “gan system”. The use of the word “gan system” is reasonable in two aspects of word frequency and motivation, and has a strong discrimination and explanatory function. The terms of the same hierarchy such as “xin system” “pi system” “fei system” “shen system” etc. should also be increased to conform to the systematization of terminology.