China’s first monograph on the history of Chinese linguistics, this book presents a concise history of Chinese linguistics in its broadest sense. It elaborates meticulously on the development and academic achievements of Chinese linguistics across different historical stages. The history of Chinese linguistics can be divided into two major periods, corresponding roughly to philology and linguistics. Research conducted prior to the May 4th Movement falls largely within the domain of philology; work carried out since then is primarily concerned with linguistics. Given its considerable historical depth, Chinese philology occupies a substantial portion of this book. Attention is also paid to paleography, general linguistics, dialectal surveys, experimental linguistics, and related fields. The coverage ranges from the pre-Qin era to the founding of the People’s Republic of China. As a textbook, this work aims to introduce readers to major linguistic works in China, analyze the factors behind the rise of particular linguistic schools, explore the academic backgrounds of key linguists and their influence on later generations, and assess the contributions and limitations of individual works.

Courteously addressed as Liaoyi, Wang Li (1900-1986) was born in Bobai, Guangxi. A renowned Chinese linguist, Wang Li served as a professor at Tsinghua University, Peking University and other institutions, and Deputy Director of the Committee for Chinese Character Reform. He is revered as one of the founders of modern linguistics in China and has been engaged in teaching and research of Chinese for an entire lifetime. He has made tremendous contributions to the development of language science and the cultivation of linguistic experts in China. He has published over 40 monographs and nearly 200 research articles, covering virtually every area of linguistics. Representative works include The Contemporary Chinese Grammar, A Study of Chinese Poetic Prosody, the Chinese Phonology, and A History of Chinese Language. All his important writings are included in the Collected Works of Wang Li (twenty volumes in total).