The origin evolution of the Chinese character

◆ article / Liu Bin

Swallow Beijing university hides character of animal of bone of turtleback of abundant agree oracle inscriptions

Recently, read " if tear open a word,be an upright person! Did you understand these words? " wait for Chinese character of a few explanations the article of word justice, always feeling is interpret without real understanding, draw a forced analogy, the means with assume sth as a matter of course is misinterpret the original meaning of the Chinese character and extend the meaning justice, misdirect reader. The Chinese character is the crystallization of wisdom of the Chinese nation, it is the gem of China culture, the origin that knows a Chinese character, evolve, word-formation rule and its propagate breast are generated self-confident to sturdy culture, promote China outstanding culture is having important sense. Do not put firm so humble, give uncecessary details is as follows.

About the origin of the Chinese character, had gotten together bring a case to court more than 2000 years, wraparound say to basically have 3 kinds of point of views: It is to think to come from tie knots evolution, 2 it is to think to come by drawing evolution, 3 it is to think to engrave evolution by the agree and come.

" easy? The department passes " : "Antediluvian tie knots and treat " , li Dingzun " Zhouyi collect solves " bring " 9 easy " : "Ancient person without the character, its have the thing that arranges oath, thing greatly its rope; The issue is small its rope. Of the knot little, along with content numerous few. " tie knots and character only with respect to begin to remember things for this, both has the place that be interlinked truly, but anyhow, literal different at tie knots, this because the character is civilized,indicate not only, tie knots is barbaric token, mainer the symbol that depending on a character is record language, it and language are inseparable, it is tool of affective of communication thought, expression, and the tool that tie knots can regard a help as memory only, it does not have the requirement that is united in wedlock with the language. Accordingly, pass the ancients before tie knots regards a character to arise so phase of a begin to remember things probably cannot miscalculate, but the origin that regards tie knots as the character is confused do not know.

Drawing is ancient people begin to remember things and a kind of method that communicate an idea.

Drawing is ancient people begin to remember things and a kind of method that communicate an idea, be in early the Old Stone Age, the mankind can have been drawn on the hole wall that its reside, and draw racily distinct, make the person looks to know its meaning. Want to make an appointment with a person to chase for instance, with respect to the picture a deer or a bison mix to register the person of bow, send as correspondence, rise to communicate the action of the thought so, so somebody is what this kind of drawing says " hieroglyph " . "Hieroglyph " the characteristic depends on it can expressing specific thing with specific figure, first picture is gotten as far as possible careful and distinct, these token drawing were used to in people later later, want thick lines ground to draw a rough sketch only, can know dawn meaning. Such, some drawing are depicted with respect to what break away from specific thing gradually and decay is abstraction, the delegate of universal, successors are what its say pictographic. Arrive from hieroglyph pictographic, meantime does not have the limit with absolute what, a lot of pictographic it is drawing originally, about this, we can get confirm in inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, inscriptions on bronze.

The agree is engraved also is the means of a kind of begin to remember things that uses in the nation that does not have a character, for example the Yang Shao that stockaded village of home of week of county of Gansu Province Xining comes up out of land period bone engraves, antesheng " Gansu Province archaeology is written down " the two bone edition of the 3rd graph, these objective may be and so on of agree of bond, certificate, related to archaic law, not as big as literal relation, but be apart from the half slope that controlled 6000 today the depict outside lip of Yangshao culture crockery differred, cannot say to have nothing to do with the character. When the score symbol that half slope ancient painted pottery discussed at the beginning of era 1970, mr Yu Shengwu says: "Archaeology worker thinks is a symbol, I think this is a few simple characters that place of literal origin phase produces. " Guo Mei is like a gentleman to also say: "There often is the simple score of a few similar written languages on half slope ancient painted pottery, sentence with the decorative pattern on implements differ like that... the meaning of depict did not clarify up to now, but it is the sign that has literal quality undoubtedly. " hind also have similar crockery sign at culture of the Longshan Culture of Yangshao culture, 2 within, distributing to small piece of land surrounded by water in the culture of mouth of big short of Wenshui River of Chinese the eastpart part and fine culture, also discover crockery sign. Mr Li Xueqin says, these symbols " its form is close to Shang Zhouwen word more, the symbol of culture of mouth of big short of Wenshui River is more decorous, neat, have pictographic sex, very inscriptive like the bronze ware later " . As to the score symbol on crockery of Yin Dynasty ruins, its structure and coinstantaneous inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, inscriptions on bronze is consistent, had been the inscription on pottery on firm sense, for example 1956 " little village? Crockery of Yin Dynasty ruins " plate the 61 80 crockery signs that hold to 63, majority is the character that can know.

When the score symbol that half slope ancient painted pottery discussed at the beginning of era 1970, mr Yu Shengwu says: Archaeology worker thinks is a symbol, I think this is literal origin

About the origin of the Chinese character, still have think to wait for a viewpoint by evolution of the Eight Diagrams, what occupy not do one's best, here does not make the introduction. The author thinks, the origin of the Chinese character is likely not merely a fountainhead, the likelihood experienced to try the historical course of established by usage from bull, integrate the inchoate character that heretofore discovers, belong to pictographic basically result from hieroglyph, those who belong to self-explanatory characters character is much come from score symbol, and the other type of the Chinese character, basically be by pictographic with self-explanatory characters the literal breed evolution of these two kinds of types and come.

The origin of respecting character, having toing involve a character is the problem that who creates after all, this problem basically also has 3 kinds of views in Chinese ancient time: It is the formulation of Cang Jie word-formation, see at " Han Fei child? 5 moth " " world this? Make piece " , Li Si " Cang Jie piece " , Xu Shen " say order of civil solution word " wait for document; 2 it is the formulation that Huang Di makes a book, see Yu Xukai " say civil department to pass? The department is narrated " wait for document; 3 it is general carry sage word-formation, see Yu Ming Zhao Gu criterion " Hexateuch original meaning? Hexateuch is topical " , Qing Duanyu is cut into parts " say Wen Xu is noted " wait for document. The author thinks these formulations are inappropriate, character and language are same, it is one person anything but temporarily child, it follows social development and develop, have the course of an established by usage, if say amid of certain and alleged wise man had effect, that just did constituent personnel possibly also to undertake unity the job that arrange to the character.

According to the research achievement of the data that archaeology provides and modern learned man, the depict symbol on Yangshao culture ancient painted pottery and black pottery should be the primitive phase of the Chinese character. But the Chinese character that goes up as real significance, it must have form, news, justice 3 element. Existing data analysis is computative, formed in the Chinese character with summerly inchoate generation probably, the inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty to abundant trade times has been develop, the records a language sign system that becomes a system. According to the history that system of Chinese character font evolves into, we can evolve into the development of the Chinese character roughly cent is 5 phase such as inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, inscriptions on bronze, an ancient style of calligraphy, official script, regular script.

Inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty is the character that is engraved on turtleback animal bone, the period of at the height of power and splendour that it uses is in abundant business later period. The Christian era discovered inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty at first 1899, a large number of coming up out of land install in relief Yin Dynasty ruins at Henan, after founding a state, take formerly in Shaanxi week came up out of land again the inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty of period of the Western Zhou Dynasty, this and come down in one continuous line of abundant business written language, belong to same and individual department. The gross of the entire individual character that sees in demit of armour bone sculpture at present, control in 4500 words about. Tell from the glyph, inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty is like next characteristics: It is strokes simple, 2 it is to have picture sex,

Rubbings from a stone tablet of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty

Inscriptions on bronze of inscriptions on bronze is to see a kind of ancient writing on bronze ware, say again inscriptive, next the word is sunken is paragraph, bulgy to know, the at the height of power and splendour that it uses period in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The bronze ware of abundant trade times is inscriptive not long, have 2 only, 3 words, of more than 10 words inscriptive and few. On week acting bronze ware inscriptive have full length your work at the beginning, if become Wang Shi " Ling Yi " 187 words, health Wang Shi " big jar vessel " 29l word, and when king of announce of last years of a dynasty or reign of the Western Zhou Dynasty " Mao Gongding " be as long as 499 words. " inscriptions on bronze is made up " receive 377l of individual character of inscriptions on bronze in all (include an appendix) . Than inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, inscriptions on bronze is like next characteristics: It is inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty use data is turtleback animal bone, the data that inscriptions on bronze uses is bronze, because inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty goes up with graduating with cutter, and inscriptions on bronze is in the do well on the model and implements a casting goes up more, so inscriptions on bronze wants than body of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, strokes thick circle, also compare a standard at the same time; 2 it is new pictographic word appears not much, the generation that represents pictographic word is basic halt; 3 it is form accord with finalizes the design gradually, for instance " go against " word, accord with of form of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty has a few kinds, basically finalize the design in inscriptions on bronze; 4 was to increase certain form magic figures drawn by Taoist priests to invoke or expel spirits and bring good or ill fortune, the word of ministry of the ministry that be like character, core, acupuncture point, gold ministry, factory ministry,

After the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, china is entered vassal set up a separatist regime by force of arms, it is severally blast situation, the Chinese character also appeared relatively complex case, substantially rash, Zheng, old, the character of the country such as the Song Dynasty, Xue, Teng and photograph of inscriptions on bronze bear, but a few big countries are like neat, advance, Hunan, , wait to differ somewhat more, especially Hunan, jump over two countries, font more differ with Central Plains, some font make the person cannot differentiate even, the different article strange word that consequently later ages calls. According to the implements of be handed down from ancient times, difference is the biggest is pasture article (on crockery) , fontal article (on coin) , royal seal article (on credential) , still bird insect book is waited a moment. These literal random are numerous brief, vagarious, do not accept any obligations it seems that, accordingly between each country character find out an unity exemple very hard to come.

Rubbings from a stone tablet of inscriptions on bronze

Still have so called a style of calligraphy and prose written in classic literary style with what afore-mentioned characters run paralell, a style of calligraphy namely an ancient style of calligraphy that we often say, " Chinese book? Art article annals " account has " history read aloud " 15, according to the textual research of regnal dimension, a style of calligraphy is the written language that country of earthy the Qin Dynasty uses on the west, consequently it and inscriptions on bronze belong to a system probably. And alleged " ancient prose " , it is the book in the wall that Chinese generation person discovers from inside wall of Confucius former residence, regnal dimension considers as the popularity before Qin Shi emperor burns a book the character at Oriental each country.

Period of the Warring States of an ancient style of calligraphy, the world big chaos, the character is extremely random also, after Qin Shi emperor unites China, the character still is in 6 countries popular, then achieve of prime minister Li Si integrates a character please, stop the person that its and Qin Wen should not, abolished a large number of regional a variant form of a Chinese character, simplify on the foundation of an ancient style of calligraphy change easy, li Si is made at that time " Cang Jie piece " , Zhao Gao is made " whencing all previous piece " , Hu Wujing is made " erudite piece " , later ages calls this kind of simple and easy and orderly word an ancient style of calligraphy.

An ancient style of calligraphy

Forefathers of official script official script thinks to far away at Cheng, actually this is a kind of fokelore. The generation of a kind of font and a kind of literal generation are same, it is the historical course of an established by usage, not be a person can be created in a moment come out. Guo Mei is like what the gentleman thinks official script is careless seal to evolve, the official script that says the initial stage on the structure in the word and an ancient style of calligraphy are done not have how old difference, but the data that comes up out of land from now looks, seal character and official script are being used still is distinguishing on the pen, official script changes the arc of seal character is delimit continuously, change to turn field to just be folded, at the same time seal word submits long circumference form, word of be subordinate to is flat look.

Regular script regular script weighs regular script, regular script again, book, " demit sea " the explanation says it " body Founder, strokes is flat, can make model " , friend name regular script. Call its again in ancient times " model be subordinate to " , it is a kind of font that evolve from official script and grass of be subordinate to and comes. From the Chinese generation bamboo slip that come up out of land (be subordinate to is careless) look, had graduallied the embryo that had regular script. The inchoate regular script that sees now is vestigial the book of a surname You that is the Kingdom of Wei of period of the Three Kingdoms and Gu Lang tablet, arrived the Eastern Jin dynasty, regular script begins popularity, continue all the time up to now.

Alleged " Hexateuch " , it is 6 kinds of methods that come out according to Chinese character word-formation and summary of the rule that use a word. The ancients is endless to the appellation of Hexateuch identical, more current is Xu Shen of the Eastern Han Dynasty " say order of civil solution word " formulation, namely self-explanatory characters, pictographic, echoism, knowingly, mutually explanatory or synonymous characters, make use of. "Hexateuch " the concept is formed roughly at last years of a dynasty or reign of the Warring States, but detailed narration begins from last years of a dynasty or reign of the Western Han Dynasty. Arrived the Eastern Han Dynasty, xu Shen is used " Hexateuch " the body that will analyse a Chinese character, and made justice group for it, cited two case each. After Xu Shen, people ever was opposite " Hexateuch " make how many make a thorough inquiry, till Song Chao's Zheng Qiao, just only with " Hexateuch " study all Chinese characters. He is in " Hexateuch slightly " in, press the Chinese character " Hexateuch " cent is 6 much, be in at the same time theoretic made relatively Xu Shen is more detailed elaborate. Song Yuanzhi is handed in, dai Dong is made " Hexateuch reason " , " Hexateuch " research advanced one step again. Later, many characters learn write discussion " Hexateuch " , period of clear Dai Ganjia achieves in a period of great prosperity. "Hexateuch " the pattern that reflected Chinese character generation greatly, as a kind of theory, be worth us to take seriously very much.

The definition that Xu Shen leaves to pictographic word is " the picture becomes its matter, qu of the closely question that follow style " , lift " day, month " for exemple.

The definition that pictographic Xu Shen leaves to pictographic word is " the picture becomes its matter, qu of the closely question that follow style " , lift " day, month " for exemple. The article is told in front, one of source that the Chinese character generates are drawing. According to archaeology discovery, there already was brushwork in the the Old Stone Age, and brushwork and character break up gradually in the The Neo-lithic Age. The inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty of abundant business period already was the written language that becomes a system, ought to have before it be close to the character at drawing more, be like character of alleged chest article, a group of things with common features badge and the literal material that have not discover. Because the character has course of a development, still withheld in times of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty so quite one part is pictographic, be like ox, sheep, dog, deer, wood, standing grain, car, female etc, the visualize that these pictographic words capture the feature of the object and makes, perhaps saying is line changes a picture, symbolism, make the person looks to know it a denotive some object. Pictographic the basic glyph that is a Chinese character, majority becomes the character components of the Chinese character later, develop on the foundation of pictographic word and many Chinese characters come.

Self-explanatory characters " say Wen Xu " say: "Self-explanatory characters person, inspect and can know, examine and see meaning, it is up and down also. " pictographic word basically is watch fact, but some things are drawn very hard, then the ancients is on the foundation of pictographic word special directive, in order to see its hint. Be like " up and down " 2 words, in inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, indicate one short the positional place that delimit; Be like again " yuan " word, inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty and the position that indicate in inscriptions on bronze are in the head, actually yuan namely head, head namely first, so " Mencius? Teng Wen is fair below " say: "Trojan does not forget funeral its yuan. " " Zun Chuan " Xi is fair say 33 years: "Surname person Gui Jiyuan. " until contemporary still have " dynast " one word, show national head, head is gotten. Self-explanatory characters is breed as a result of literal propagate and adopted the method because of benefit at one's convenience, in add on body word alone very simple point delimits as distinction, place is additional all sorts of dots delimit, just having sign discern action, both neither becomes character components, also not be alone body word. Be like blade (knife) , dawn (day) , ins and outs (wood) , mother (female) , too (big) , little (small) etc.

Knowingly " say Wen Xu " say: "Knowingly person, comparison closes friendship, point to bogus in order to see, wu Xin is also. " understand word justice knowingly namely through sense, xu Shen is lifted " Wu Xin " 2 words, say in text brief note " stop Ge Weiwu " " person character is a letter " , this kind of explanation is incorrect. Yu Yongliang basis inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, inscriptions on bronze " fierce " the configuration of the word says: "From row from stop Cong Ge, cao Ge goes at on the road, overtake fierce also. " Mr Tang Lan also thinks fierce stops from Gecong, without stop meaning, and for dagger of carry on one's shoulder travel, have martial and magnificent idea. Actually, wu Zhi from stop, be take the place of in order to stop person, this kind of phenomenon in inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty is very much, be like " before " , the configuration of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty is the person goes up in the boat. Wu Congge is indicative fight, and rather than ceases the meaning of arms. The letter is an echoism word actually, crock of king of Zhongshan of the Warring States " faithful letter " letter, from character body sound. Font of ancient prose letter is complex, configuration is differ, xu Shen stands with respect to an ancient style of calligraphy only say, think " fierce " and " letter " be knowingly word, cannot make a person be convinced. In the Chinese character knowingly the word is very much, for example good, have, slave, cease, hold a memorial ceremony for, bright, cutting of the feet, an enclosure for storing grain etc.

Xu Shen " say civil solution word "

Echoism " say Wen Xu " say: "Echoism person, it is a name with the thing, photograph extraction example is become, jiang He is also. " the characteristic of echoism word is a word comprise by the acoustical accord with of form accord with and watch sound. Have on the sound below form person, be like Zhi, dustpan, 0; The person that have wrong shape right reputation, if turn, according to, bring a case to court; The person that have the look below the falling-rising tone, if break off, jar, marry; The person that have wrong tone right look, be like county, punishment, reason; Return the person that have the reputation inside the appearance, if Lang, garden is waited a moment. In inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, the proportion that echoism word holds is not large still, at best also does not exceed 20 ％ , but arrived when the Eastern Han Dynasty Xu Shen is written " say civil solution word " , echoism word occupies 80 ％ above, this is the word with very strong capability of a kind of breed, the great majority in the Chinese character today is echoism word. The way that echoism word produces basically has 2: Because of,be each its kind and of humorous with its sound, here kind it is us by the form that says normally, express word justice kind belong to, majority is by pictographic will act as, e.g. wood, water these two kinds, materiality can be resembled, but wood kind Bai Yuhua having a pine is waited a moment, water kind have Jiang He laky etc, cannot all elephant, then because of wood kind and the with fair, white, Yu, Hua Zhisheng Cheng Song of humorous, cypress, Yu, birch all words, tired water kind and of humorous in order to be versed in, but, introduced from the northern and western nationalities or from abroad, Bai Zhisheng and into river, river, lake, berth all words. Because because of,be each its kind, so Fan Congmu person, concern with wood; Every from water person, with water photograph experience. 2 be it is acoustical accord with with this word, increase corresponding form magic figures drawn by Taoist priests to invoke or expel spirits and bring good or ill fortune, in order to express kind belong to, be distinguished in order to show and become new echoism word. Faint for instance, its original meaning is day faint (crepuscular) , of memory be like,faint of day faint, add heart and item then and be , Bing ; Ancient time is married marry surely in order to faint when, add then female and for marriage. Be like again " Jian " , add water to be shallow, add gold to be money, add feed for give a farewell dinner, add wood to be inn, add shellfish to be cheap, add bamboo to be annotation, add silk to be waited a moment for the line, "Jian " original meaning is shallow small, altogether so from " Jian " more or less does the word of breed contain this meaning.

Mutually explanatory or synonymous characters " say Wen Xu " : "Mutually explanatory or synonymous characters person, build kind, agree to suffer, take an examination of often also. " alleged " build kind " , xu " say civil department passes " say: "All often be with Die octogenarian aged justice, it is to be congener; Die octogenarian all words, its form all from old, it is old for a kind head also. " alleged " agree to be awarded " , duan Yu cuts into parts " say Wen Xu notes " the cloud: "Call intention is the same as slightly, justice but each other suffers. " say the word some commonner, it is Jia Yi two words meaning is identical, radicals by which characters are arranged in traditional Chinese dictionaries is same, can turn each other come over annotate, for example " the person that take an examination of, old also " " old man, take an examination of also " , divide " one's deceased father old " outside, be like again chase after and chase, crouch and crouch, punishment and cut the throat belong to this kind of case etc.

The development of make use of as the society, human language also is developing ceaselessly, the idea that wants expression is increasing, but the character is finite after all, original character is used not quite, can't convey new language idea, appeared then the phenomenon of make use of. Make use of, with " say Wen Xu " talking a way is " do not have its word originally, ask a thing according to sound " , develop simultaneously " make grow " 2 words are exemple. According to this justice bound, word of make use of has two features: It is " this notting have and borrow at him " , 2 be " justice because of,do not have place, lend its sound especially " . Xu Shen with " make grow " for make use of, the justice group that this and himself he makes for place of make use of nots agree with. The life in inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, make be the same as a word, in inscriptions on bronze " life " , the department is bred by your propagate and come, mouth of its form form sends signal, person Ji bend over and listen. Luo Zhenyu says: "Ancient prose makes from A person, collect everybody and of the command, reason Gu Ling and life one word one friendship. " visible, make be not this notting have its word. As to long, " say civil " say: "Ages ago also, from stand upright from an ancient type of spoon... sound. " this is a mistake, take an examination of with inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty, inscriptions on bronze, grow the length of hair elephantine a person, blame from stand upright from an ancient type of spoon, also do not have a predestined relationship with sound, growing also is not not to have its word originally.

What what Xu Shen talks about is another problem of the character actually, namely problem of the extend the meaning of word justice, make use of. A Chinese character often more than a kind of meaning, customarily we call this kind of case polysemant. Polysemant justice generation has 3 kinds of state roughly, it is the original meaning of this word, 2 it is word justice and original meaning related, 3 be do not look what to give to contact on the meaning with original meaning, just be put in the relation on pronunciation, we call these 3 kinds of case justice of justice of the original meaning of the Chinese character, extend the meaning, make use of respectively. For example " school " word, wei of the school that says today, school, corrective all be not original meaning, the original meaning of school is wooden convict, it is a kind of when ancient time uses captivity convict ligneous appliance, so from wood; The implemental body of instrument person brothers is made in be being handed in in armour bone, inscriptions on bronze, pictographic. Understood original meaning, can understand justice of extend the meaning better, so the school is with " learn " officer person, confine the person in " learn " in this defensive wall or stockade surrounding a village. "School " with " " the meaning is similar, all come from original meaning. Be like again " duty " word, censure, reprimand, responsibility is justice of extend the meaning etc, duty original meaning is " beg also " , duty this word that is debt, later " duty " the responsibility that bear is much, just add a person debt is by the word, save original meaning. " plan of the Warring States? Qi Ce " : "Gentleman not be ashamed, be about to be of purpose therefore civil close duty at Xue Zhe? " what here uses is original meaning. Duty from shellfish, because ancient time is a money with shellfish,be, always concern with money money from the Chinese character of shellfish. " Zun Chuan " post fair 13 years " Yu Zheng of Lu of Song Duo duty " , namely money of money of requirement of Song Guoxiang Zheng Guo. Idiom has " demand perfection is blamed " , here duty with begging is synonym use consecutively. Chinese character besides having justice of extend the meaning, still have justice of make use of, for example " husband " , original meaning is a man is appellative. What the husband of the husband, madam uses is original meaning, but in " not I know also husband " " already husband " " husband only birds and beasts is inurbane " " of be disgusted with of husband Jin He have " in waiting for a word, the husband does not have real significance, it is mood word, it and the concern that this original word puts on pronunciation only, and any connection are done not have on the meaning, flat perhaps say, it is the body that rented this word symphonious, and do not involve justice. Extend the meaning and make use of are different, extend the meaning is OK go up with this word pronunciation have difference, but must be on word justice have origin concern; Make use of can be on word justice be without a relation with this word, but pronunciation must identical.

The development of the Chinese character experienced by arrive less much historical course, existing data looks, times of inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells of the Shang Dynasty has 4 about, 5000 words left and right sides, but arrived of Xu Shen of period of the Eastern Han Dynasty " say civil solution word " , receive a word 9353; Arrived of the person such as light of Song Dai minister " kind piece " , receive a word 31319; Take the place of to Qing Dynasty again " Kang Xi dictionary " , receive a word to amount to 47021. Is the Chinese character with what kind of means propagate breast generates? Whether to have the law among them? If say to have the law, so are these rules what kind of?

The article speaks of in front, the Chinese character is in its inchoate it is pictographic more. These are pictographic the etymon that is a Chinese character, the propagate of the Chinese character breeds unripe achievement basically builds the base in these etymon over. It likes a tree, play root having a tree, there is branch on, there is withe again on branch, there still is a leaf on withe, we with " fire " for the exemple propagate breast to the Chinese character differentiation makes one graphic representation:

Fire is etymon, be " father generation " , from this with knowingly means propagate breed gives the word such as phlogistic, bare, broil, cook a meal, with the means propagate of echoism breed goes burn, Fan, artillery piece, burn wait for a word, these words are word branch, be " child generation " ; Child be born again grandson, be like from " phlogistic " with knowingly means propagate breed goes burn, black wait for a word, with the means propagate of echoism breed gives the word such as blaze, these words as withe, be " grandchildren generation " ; Sun Sheng great-grandson, be like from " black " with knowingly means propagate breed goes fume a word, the means with echoism propagate breed gives Guizhou, black, remove from office wait for a word.

This kind of propagate that understands a Chinese character merely breeds type of unripe set prescription is insufficient, still must understand why the phenomenon that the Chinese character can produce breast of this kind of propagate to generate. Without exception, basically have two kinds of state:

Because word body holds number justice concurrently and split up originally,be, department of this kind of state fastens its form by original meaning extend the meaning. For example " half " word, its original meaning is " in cent also " , extend the meaning is later in half, because half word body holds number justice concurrently, place goes out with splitting up again later betray, fat wait for a word. 2 because this word is borrowed,be justice place is seized and propagate breed gives new word. For example: Like that -- light, former times -- dried meat, square -- boat, etc. The original meaning that this kind of case is this word is the meaning of propagate breast word. Increase one corresponding form magic figures drawn by Taoist priests to invoke or expel spirits and bring good or ill fortune on this word namely in other words and saved original meaning, this cries " add form protect justice " . For example " like that " , its original meaning is " fire only then burn also " , borrow later to be denied like that like that, if,be again like that like that, because this word is lent justice place to seize, so fire like that add fire like that to light. Of course, two kinds of afore-mentioned state often also mingle, for example " stop " , its original meaning is " Zhi " also, point to like full control form, because original meaning is seized by other meaning place, so propagate breed goes " foot " word, add one corresponding form on this word namely Fu Yibao keeps literal sense; Because " stop " be on a suit under, so extend the meaning is base stop, because this propagate breeds,go out " location " word.

Finally, the author also should become an explanation to the position of Chinese character radicals by which characters are arranged in traditional Chinese dictionaries. In the Chinese character, the radicals by which characters are arranged in traditional Chinese dictionaries of most word cannot alternate the position, if commutation, become another word namely or become wrongly written character, but the radicals by which characters are arranged in traditional Chinese dictionaries of some words is OK of commutation position, or on house, or below house, as scheduled, peak, loose, plan, group wait for a word; Or house is different, or house is right, if break, a short wooden stake is waited a moment, although have shift, still be same a word. The case of position of radicals by which characters are arranged in traditional Chinese dictionaries of this kind of commutation is when the calligraphy work of a few people is medium see somewhat. Of course, from the Chinese character normative angle is told,

(The author fastens adviser of professor of college of Chinese politics and law, doctoral student)