Structural analysis of the Lao ch'i-ta

This thesis contains fourteen chapters and two indexes. The fourteen chapters are divided into three parts: structura l analysis of the Lao Ch'i-ta , idiomatic expressions, and cultural content. When I began my research it was my intention to concentrate only on the structural analysis of the text. Soon, however, I realized that the interesting idiomatic expressions used. as well as the rich and historically valuable cultural content of the Lao Ch'i-ta, were as important as the structural analysis and hence I have included them in my work. I have not dealt with the pronunciation of the characters, as the structural and the phonetic analysis of a work can be treated separately; nor have I touched upon the Korean transcription of the Lao Ch'i-ta as it has no direct connection with my research