本文分析魏晉六朝時期「臉」與「顏」、「面」相關詞語，發現先秦時「顏」、「面」分工的情況在中古大部分仍維持不變。不過，在較為通俗口語的情況中，「面」已經開始可以替換「顏」﹔但「顏」卻不能進入「面」的相關組合中，正是「面」成為主導詞的重要關鍵。此外，新詞「臉」在南北朝時期已經開始替代舊詞「顏」、「面」，但只能替代通俗語詞而不能替換較為雅正的詞語。更有意思的是，除了佛經之外，中土文獻中這些新詞語多只出現於南方文獻中，顯示南方文獻較北方涵容更多新語詞。本文研究不但揭露了「面」、「顏」、「臉」新詞更替的演化歷程，同時發現俗語較快進入南方通語系統，更替速度有南疾北緩之別。可以詞彙更替及俗雅之別證明顏之推所謂南方多鄙俗、北方多古語之說。

This study analyzes terms meaning “face” in use during the Six Dynasties. This study finds that the different ways in which yan 顏 and mian 面 were used in the pre-Qin period generally continued into medieval times. In the vernacular, however, yan and mian became interchangeable, with the exception that yan could not be used to replace mian in compounds; this was the key to mian becoming a dominant term. A new term, lian 臉 began to replace the older terms yan and mian during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, but only in relatively vernacular expressions. More importantly, besides Buddhist sutras, these new terms only appeared in southern Chinese literature. This study not only demonstrates the process by which these new terms evolved, but also finds that vernacular terms entered the southern common language system more quickly: this diachronic replacement took place more quickly in the south than in the north. This phenomenon, and the distinction between vernacular and classical expressions, can be used to support Yan Zhitui’s 顏之推 statement that the south had more vulgar words and the north had more archaic language.