中國近代訓詁學之發展，章太炎及其弟子最為關鍵，黃侃又其最著者。章太炎倡立「語言文字之學」，黃侃則初步建立訓詁學之體系，為近代訓詁學向現代訓詁學邁進最重要之關鍵。章太炎一生，無論在學術或革命志業上，都有為人敬仰的地方。早年詁經精舍的學習生活，奠定了他一生的學術根基；從1899年首次赴日、1906年出獄避居日本時，他的生命境遇與所處環境，都讓他在精神上有相當大的提升。特別是1906年赴日，他總結了過去對國粹與國運之間的關係論述，將國粹與救國保種合而為一，為中國語言文字之學提出了正名之舉，以此求救國之行。他在顧炎武的身上找到了心靈的依歸與學術寄託，易代之際，運會所趨，章太炎面臨到相同的局勢，但比明末清初更複雜了。從顧炎武「考文知音」的治經傾向，他得到啟示，又因在日期間接受西方學術的刺激，更深刻地體驗到語言文字之學的獨立，勢乃必然。總言之，中國訓詁學發展史上，「語言文字之學」的獨立，雖標示訓詁學脫離傳統經學之附庸，然其根本因緣，本非單純只為學術本身之發展，而實為革命志業之所需。

Zhang Taiyan and his pupils, among which Huang Kan played a decisive role, were the iconic figures who successfully modernized Chinese historical semantics. Zhang established the discipline of Chinese Philology, and Huang developed a methodology for historical semantics. Zhang was held in considerable respect and admiration in terms of his academic career and vocation for revolution. His diligence at the ＂Gu jing jing she＂ paved a solid foundation for his academic career. He visited Japan for the first time in 1899, and sought refuge in Japan after being released from prison in 1906. His experiences and the circumstances in this period greatly increased his spiritual awareness and strength. By reference to previous discourses on the relationship between Chinese cultural quintessence and the fate of China, Zhang integrated Chinese cultural quintessence with saving China and its inherited nature, heralding the discipline of Chinese Philology during his revisit to Japan in 1906. Zhang regarded Gu Yanwu as the scholarly role model who also soothed his mind. At the dynastic change and under the pressure of the times, Zhang was caught in an unprecedentedly complicated situation. He was inspired by Gu’s approach of ＂treating phonology as the foundation of historical semantics.＂ The Western academic training he received in Japan further strengthened his resolution to transform Chinese Philology into an independent discipline. In sum, the establishment of Chinese Philology marked the independence of historical semantics from the study of Confucian classics; nevertheless, it resulted more from the requirement of Zhang’s vocation for revolution than from his pursuit of academic achievement.