閩南頭家的命名學－「官」與「舍」的意義、用法、詞源

Reading maritime materials from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, we usually encounter names with -qua 官and -sia 舍suffixes. These distinctive honorific suffixes belonged to Hokkien merchants who played a significant part in East Asian maritime trade. However, the meanings, usages, and etymologies of these suffixes have not yet been comprehensively clarified. This study first critiques the existing theory proposed by Liang Chia-pin in the 1930s, tracing it from the mid-Ming to the early 20^(th) century, while pointing out its existing flaws and logical inconsistencies. I am unable to find verification for the evidence offered by Liang in support of his theory in the historical materials. They are merely folk stories without historical basis and cannot explain the usages of -qua and -sia. I believe that the Xiamen zhi 廈門志 (Xiamen Gazetteer) and Chinese-English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy offer the correct meanings and usages of these honorific suffixes: -qua is applicable to all gentlemen, but -sia is exclusive to the relatives of mandarins. I have found much supporting evidence for this in Hokkien-Ianguage materials, such as scripts, land deeds, merchants' trade names, and Chinese records from Batavia (Jakarta), etc. Based upon the usages of these suffixes, I also trace their etymologies to the Song dynasty, and try to explain their diachronic changes using historical evidence.