Huang Kan

Huang Kan (Chinese: 黃侃; 1886 – 8 October 1935), courtesy name Jigang (季剛), born into a family of Hubei ancestry in Chengdu, Sichuan province, was a Chinese phonologist, philologist and revolutionary.

As a teen, he tested into Wuchang School, a prestigious secondary school, but then was expelled for spreading anti-Qing sentiments. He then went to study in Japan and became a student of the Chinese scholar and philologist Zhang Taiyan. Huang was regarded as the most important phonologist since the high Qing (1644–1912) and gained recognition at first through his literary criticism of the sixth century. Later on, he taught at a number of universities in mainland China.

Huang's major contribution lies in his research on ancient Chinese phonology. He was the first to question established theories of rhyme schemes (patterns of sounds at the end of lines in poetry) in ancient literature. Huang proposed twenty-eight variations instead of the older version of twenty-six variations established by his teacher Zhang. He also proposed a new categorization of the ancient consonantal system that separated the oldest nineteen sounds from the existing theory of forty-one sounds.

As an educator, Huang was known for his innovative ways of teaching. His students particularly admired his integrity and courage in cases of political disagreement with university administrations. During the three years Huang Kan spent at this school, he was highly influenced by the progressive scholars and thinkers around him, and especially excited about the idea of revolution and rising up against the monarchy. Huang was the first to propose a convincing initial systems of Old Chinese.

In 1911, Huang Kan moved to Shanghai after his mother's death in Hubei. And from 1911 to 1914, he focused his study in three major works,: Huang further developed Zhang and Qian Xuantong's preliminary findings and published one of his most famous works Nineteen Sounds of Ancient Phonology《古音十九纽》in 1924. In the book, he broke the sounds down by certain manners of articulation: three kinds of sounds that involve the throat (喉音) three kinds of sounds that involve teeth (牙音) five kinds of sounds that involve the tongue (舌音) four kinds of sounds that involve teeth (齿音) four kinds of sounds that involve lips (唇音) A compilation of his major works including nineteen of his writings were published as Special Edition of Works by the Late Mr. Huang Jigang 《黄季刚先生遗著专号》 after his death. Specifically, it included "General remarks on Erya (Erya Lue Shuo, 尔雅略说), which defined and explained the importance of Erya and incorporated his comprehensive summary of past analyses of Erya, including that of Guo Pu (one of the earliest writers on Chinese ancient texts from the first century); "General remarks on Shuowen" (Shuowen Lue Shuo, 说文略说), which studied the etymology of Chinese characters and analyzed the rationale of Chinese orthography; "General remarks on Shengyun" (Shengyun Lue Shuo, 声韵略说), which elaborated on the importance of phonetics and the historical change of Chinese phonetics through the multiple versions and editions of Guangyun spread across dynasties. Furthermore, Huang often poked fun of vernacular writing. During that time period, people communicated via telegram in long distance. He asked his students to imagine a telegram delivering the death of someone's mother. Vernacular Chinese (often disyllabic, having two syllables making up one word) would be "Your mama is dead. Come back now!" (“你妈妈死了！快回来呀！“) as opposed to the older form (often monosyllabic where individual syllables make up its own word) (literally) "Mother dead. Fast return." (“母死速回。”) The vernacular Chinese uses more characters to write and therefore, would cost more money to send as a telegram.

Huang Kan was a very famous academic during his time for both his uncompromising political stance as well as his teaching style. His lectures were often so popular that the lecture halls were filled with admirers standing by the doors and windows to listen. At Peking University, he taught "Study of Poetry and Prose" and "History of Chinese Literature". He was known to have prepared his lectures extremely extensively, often departing from textbook content and structure. He was also said to incorporate other studies and fields into his lectures. Furthermore, for students he thought as particularly talented with great potential, he held extra smaller lectures outside of class time to discuss contemporary matters and literature.

As a classicist, he was very adamant about the list of twenty-five books from classic Chinese literature that his students were required to read. Despite his strict pedagogy, all of his students were very grateful for his dedication in teaching as he often transferred knowledge of his personal methods and philosophies in studying. Outside of the classroom, he often spent time drinking and writing poetry with his students as well.

Personal life In 1903, Huang Kan first married Wang Caiheng (王采蘅) by arrangement of their parents. Although Huang went abroad to Japan two years after the marriage, within the fourteen years of their marriage, Wang bore seven children. Only three boys and two girls were still living when Wang died in 1916. She unequivocally supported Huang's political stance and teaching career and took care of their children. She was praised as a great partner. However, during the long distance marriage, Huang went to Shanghai in pursuit of Huang Shaolan (黄绍兰), who was also a student of Zhang Taiyan. He convinced her to marry him using a fake name. She complied because he could not have gotten married with the same identity twice. She regretted the decision once Huang went back to Beijing and started dating a student of his, Peng (彭, this is only a last name). Huang Shaolan's father then disowned her because of the scandal. Consequently, she suffered greatly from mental illness and eventually hung herself. Zhang Taiyan's wife, Tang Guoli (汤国梨), expressed great sympathy for Huang Shaolan and publicly detested Huang Kan's "immoral conduct" in her writings. Zhang Taiyan, on the other hand, excused his favourite student for such behavior for "any great scholar or artist cannot be perfect."

In 1923, Huang Kan married one of his own students Huang Juying(黄菊英), who graduated from college that year. He allegedly had nine marriages in total.

In 1916, when Zhang Taiyan was jailed by Yuan Shikai (a politician who attempted to restore the monarchy after Sun Yet-sen's death), Huang Kan arrived at his teaching position in Peking University. Despite the risk of being jailed and executed, Huang moved into Zhang's house arrest in Beijing to take care of his teacher. His students and peers thought him as someone who had the utmost integrity and dedication to truth and justice.

Huang Kan had ten children by different wives. His eight sons were Nianhua (念华), Nianchu (念楚, died very early), Niantian (念田), Nianxiang (念祥), Nianci (念慈), Nianqin (念勤), Nianning (念宁), Nianping (念平). He had two daughters, oldest being Shipan(适潘).

Legacy Below is a list of works by Huang kan including works that he co-authored (for more detailed information, see List of works by and about Huang Kan) Zhou, Jiafeng and Huang. Huang Shi Gu Yun Er Shi Ba Bu Xie Sheng Biao 黄氏古韵二十八部諧聲表. 台南縣: 私立遠東工業專科學校, 1968. Print. Xie, Yimin and Huang. Ji Chun Huang Shi Gu Yin Shuo 蘄春黄氏古音說. 台北? 嘉新水泥公司文化基金會, 1965. Print. Wen Xuan Huang Shi Xue 文選黃氏學. 台北: 文史哲, 1977. Print. Literary History Lab of Hubei Province and Huang. Huang Ji Gang Shi Wen Chao 黃季剛詩文鈔. 武汉市: 湖北人民出版社 : 發行新華書店湖北發行所, 1985. Print. Huang, Yanzu and Huang. Huang Kan Guo Xue Wen Ji 黃侃國學文集. 北京市: 中華書局, 2006. Print. Huang, Zhuo, Huang, Nianhua and Huang. Zi Zheng Chu Bian 字正初编. 湖北省武昌: 武汉大学出版社 : 湖北省新华书店发行, 1983. Print. Huang, Zhuo, Huang, Nianhua and Huang.. Shuo Wen Jian Shi 說文箋識. 北京市: 中華書局, 2006. Print. 文心雕龍札記. 北京: 中華書局 : 新華書店上海發行所發行, 1962. Print. Liang Shou Lu Ci Chao量守廬詞鈔. 臺北市: 國民出版社, 1960. Print. Huang Kan Shou Pi Bai Wen Shi San Jing黄侃手批白文十三經. 上海: 上海古籍出版社 : 新華書店上海發行所發行, 1983. Print. Huang Kan Lun Xue Za Zhu黄侃論學雜著. 北京: 中華書局, 1964. Print. Wang, Ying and Huang. Er Ya Zheng Ming Ping 爾雅正名評. 九龍: 新亞書院中文系, 1968. Print. Huang Kan Shou Pi Er Ya Zheng Ming黄侃手批尔雅正名. 湖北武昌: 武汉大学出版社, 1986. Print Xu, Shen and Huang. Huang Kan Shou Pi Shuo Wen Jie Zi 黄侃手批說文解字. 北京市: 中華書局, 2006. Print. Huang, Zhuo and Huang. Shuo Wen Jian Shi Si Zhong 说文箋識四種. 上海: 上海古籍出版社 : 新華書店上海發行所發行, 1983. Print. Huang, Zhuo and Huang. Guang Yun Jiao Lu 廣韵校錄. 上海: 上海古籍出版社 : 新華書店上海发行所发行, 1985. Print. Wen Zi Sheng Yun Xun Gu Bi Ji 文字聲韻训詁筆记. 上海: 上海古籍出版社 : 新華書店上海發行所發行, 1983. Print. Wen Xuan Ping Dian 文選平點. 上海: 上海古籍出版社 : 新華書店上海發行所發行, 1985. Print. Er Ya Yin Xun 爾雅音訓. 上海: 上海古籍出版社 : 新華書店上海發行所發行, 1983. Print. Liang Shou Lu Qun Shu Jian Shi 量守廬羣書箋識. 湖北武昌珞珈山: 武汉大学出版社 : 湖北省新华书店发行, 1985. Print.