本文主要討論《左傳》關於家庭制度的三個詞彙「宗」、「家」、「室」之意義，以及三者之關係。本文首先針對此領域研究成果，以錢宗范《周代宗法制度研究》、謝維揚《周代家庭形態》及朱鳳瀚《商周家族形態研究》等三書為探討對象，分析其研究成果與得失。其中朱鳳瀚認為《左傳》中的「室」偶有與「家」混同的情況，因此主張將「家」在家庭制度隸屬關係中剔除，簡化為「宗」－「室」二層隸屬關係。但筆者認為朱鳳瀚所舉《左傳》「家」與「室」混同的例子，在經過深入探究其意義與用法後，其實並無混淆之虞。因此筆者認為《左傳》中「宗」、「家」、「室」所表現的家庭制度概念，可定為「宗」－「家」、「族」、「氏」－「室」三層隸屬關係；其中「族」與「氏」之含義相當於「家」，故而置於同一層次。

This paper mainly discussed the meanings of the three terms ＂Zong＂, ＂Jia＂, and ＂Shi＂ relating to the family system in Zuo Zhuan, and the interrealtionship among the three words. Based on the previous research document of Qian Zongfan's Zhou Dai Zong Fa Zhi Du Yan Jiu, Xie Weiyang's Zhou Dai Jia Ting Zing Tai, and Zhu Fenghan's Shang Zou Jia Zu Xing Tai Yan Jiu, the researcher proposed the following ideas. Zhu proposed that ＂Shi＂ and ＂Jia＂ were misused in Zuo Zhuan sometimes, so Zhu suggested that ＂Jia＂ should be excluded from the family system, which made the hierarchy system ＂Zong＂-＂Jia＂. However, the researcher proposed that after closely investigation of the misuse of ＂Jia＂ and ＂Shi＂ in Zuo Zhuan, there seemed to be no any confusion arisen. That is, the researcher argued that the hierarchy system could be defined as ＂Zong＂-＂Jia＂, ＂Zu＂, ＂Shi＂-＂Shi＂, among which the interpretation of ＂Zu＂ and ＂Shi＂ should be referred to the same as ＂Jia＂, and would be covered in this paper.