Abstract:

The theory of the origin of language is the core concept of Chinese etymology advanced by Zhang Taiyan，and is
also the foundation for building Chinese cognate word families. Zhang Taiyan inherited the research results of the traditional
Chinese philology and the root theory of western historical comparative linguistics to put forward the theory of the origin of
language. The purpose of this theory is to explore the evolvement of Chinese language through the connection between Chinese
word families. The theory contains the understanding and interpretation of the forming process of Chinese cognate words by
Zhang Taiyan，and makes comprehensive and systematic research of Chinese cognate word families. It was on the basis of
the ”language roots” concept，Zhang Taiyan created Wenshi，the prelude of Shuowen. The proposition and application of the
concept of language origin marked the establishing of Zhang’s theory of Chinese etymology. With distinctive characteristics
of Chinese philology，this theory is suitable for the building of Chinese cognate word families，and has exerted a significant
influence on the study of Chinese language origin in both theory and practical application.

Key words: Zhang Tai-yan（章太炎）, the theory of the origin of language, Wenshi（《文始》）, word origin, etymology