The Yinyunxue Congshu (音韻學叢書), Collection of Traditional Chinese Phonological Works), compiled by Yan Shihui (嚴式誨, 1890∼1976), is a comprehensive collection of traditional Chinese phonological literature published during the transitional period from the late Qing dynasty to the early Republic of China, when traditional scholarship was undergoing a transformation into modern academic disciplines. Drawing on an examination of Yan Shihui’s life and his family’s scholarly tradition, as well as the establishment of the Biyuan Library (賁園書庫) and the Weinan Yan Family Publishing House (渭南嚴氏書坊), this study investigates the compilation process, editorial system, and editorial practices of the Yinyunxue Congshu. In particular, through a close examination of its prefaces, postscripts, and colophons, this study reconstructs the division of responsibilities among the members of the compilation team, thereby clarifying its organizational structure.
Yan Shihui supervised the overall compilation process, including proofreading, editorial supervision, and publication; Lin Sijin (林思進, 1874∼1953) was responsible for establishing the editorial framework and overall organizational structure, while Gong Daogeng (龔道耕, 1876∼1941) and Xiang Chu (向楚, 1877∼1961) undertook the detailed textual collation.
Furthermore, based on an analysis of the original editions and source texts of the works included in the collection, this study demonstrates how the Yinyunxue Congshu systematically brought together scattered phonological materials by re-editing and republishing rare phonological works in a standardized format. It argues that the editorial system and organizational structure of the collection reflect the scholarly vision and compilation philosophy of its compilers, as manifested in the systematic collection, selection, and reorganization of traditional phonological literature.
The scholarly significance of the Yinyunxue Congshu can be summarized in three respects. First, it substantially improved the access to and the usability of dispersed traditional phonological literature, thereby strengthening the foundation for phonological research. Second, it represents a significant example of the transition from traditional methods of textual organization to modern scholarly methodologies. Third, it exerted a lasting influence on the Study of Old Chinese phonology (古音學), as well as on related fields such as bibliographical studies and textual criticism, and made a significant contribution to the documentary basis of modern phonological research.
Finally, this study examines the circulation of various facsimile and reprint editions of the Yinyunxue Congshu, together with the current state of digital resource development. It thereby reassesses the collection’s scholarly value and influence in light of its continued use as a fundamental resource for traditional Chinese phonological studies and its role in facilitating further research in related fields.