中国文化3.Chinese-Characters-and-Language

ChineseCharacters•OriginofChineseCharacters•ThemostsophisticatedandearliestChinesecharactersaretheinscriptionsontortoiseshellsandanimalbonescalledOracle-boneScript(Jiaguwen)oftheShangDynasty(17th-11thcenturyBC)whichwerefoundatthesiteofthelastShangcapitalYinnearpresent-dayAnyang,Henanprovince.TheFindingofOracleBones•ThediscoveryoftheoraclebonesinChinagoesbackto1899,whenascholarWangYirong(王懿荣)fromBeijingwasprescribedaremedycontainingdragonbonesforhisillness.“Dragonbones”werewidelyusedinChinesemedicineandusuallyrefertofossilsofdeadanimals.•WangYirongnoticedsomecarvingsthatlookedlikesomekindofwriting.ThisluckyfindingledtothediscoveryofAnyang,thelastcapitalofShangdynasty,aswellasOracle-boneScript.ChineseCharacters•EvolutionofChineseCharacters•ThenextstageinthehistoryofChinesewritingisthebronzeinscriptions(Jinwen),whichalsoresembleddrawingsappearingtheShangDynastyandWesternZhouDynasty.FivemajorscriptsofChinesecalligraphyTheartofChinesecalligraphyiscloselyrelatedtotheevolutionofChinesecharactersandevolvedintofivemajorstyleswithdifferenttechniques:•TheSealScript(Zhuanshu)•TheClericalScript(Lishu)•TheStandardScript(Kaishu)•TheCursiveScript(Caoshu)•TheRunningScript(Xingshu)TheSealScript(篆书)•Softlinesofstrokesanduprightrectangularshapekeepthesealformcharactersmoreclosetopictography.•Eachofthecharactershasabalancedandsymmetricalpattern.TheClericalScript(隶书)•ItwastheturningpointintheevolutionofChinesescriptsandisthefoundationofthelaterscriptforms.•Itturnedtheremainingcurvedandroundstrokesofthesealformintolinearandflatsquareshapes.TheStandardScript(楷书)•Itismostinfluentialscriptandstilltoday’sstandardwriting.•Itisstraightinline,squareinform,andnon-cursiveinstrokes.TheCursiveScript(草书)•Thisstyleofcalligraphyissmoothandlivelywithstrokesflowingandcharacterslinkingtogether.•Thecharactersareoftenjoined,withthelaststrokeofonemergingintotheinitialstrokeofthenext.•Itisexecutedfreelyandrapidlysothatpartsofthecharactersappearexaggerated.TheRunningScript(行书)•TheRunningScriptissomewherebetweentheStandardandtheCursivescriptsallowingsimplerandfasterwriting.•Therunningstandardscript行楷•Therunningcursivescript行草ToolsofChineseCalligraphy--FourTreasuresoftheStudy•Brush•Ink,inkstick•Paper•Inkstone•Thebestofeachoftheseitemsisrepresentedby:Hubrush(湖笔),Huiinkstick(徽墨),Xuanpaper(宣纸),andDuaninkstone(端砚).•Inadditiontothesefourtools,deskpadsandpaperweightsarealsousedbycalligraphers.ChineseCalligraphy•TheartofChinesecalligraphyiswidelypracticedandreveredinChineseculture.Inadditiontobeinganartforminitsownright,Chinesecalligraphyhasalsoinfluencedinkandwashpainting,whichisaccomplishedusingsimilartoolsandtechniques.IthasalsoledtothedevelopmentofmanyotherformsofartinChina,includingsealcarving,ornatepaperweights,andinkstones.ChineseCharacters•FormationofChinesecharacters•XuShen(许慎;58–147),theChinesephilologistintheHanDynastysummarized“SixWays”inhisShuoWenJieZi:Pictogram,Ideograph,LogicalAggregates,PictophoneticCompounds,Transfer,Loan.•Laterscholarspointedoutthatonlythefirst4aretheprincipleofconstructingChinesecharacters,theresttwoarewaysofusingthem.ShuoWenJieZi(说文解字)byXuShen•Thefirsttoanalyzethestructureofthecharactersandtogivethereasonsbehindthem•Thefirsttousetheprincipleoforganizationcharactersbysharedcomponents,calledsectionheaders/radicals(部首).ChineseCharacters•FormationofChinesecharactersPictograms(象形)representreal-lifeobjectsbydrawings.Example:日月云雨ChineseCharacters•FormationofChinesecharactersIdeographs(指事)representpositionalandnumeralconceptsbyindication.Example:一二三上下本末ChineseCharacters•FormationofChinesecharactersLogicalAggregates(会意)formanewmeaningbycombiningthemeaningsoftwoormorecharacters.Example：Wood木SmallForest林BigForest森手+分+手＝掰Hand+Toseparate+Hand＝ToseparatesthwithtwohandsChineseCharactersFormationofChinesecharactersPictophoneticCompounds(形声)formacharacterbycombiningthemeaningofonecharacterandthepronunciationofanothercharacter.Example：•妈码玛骂蚂吗StrokesofChineseCharacters•Thereare8basiccategories:Heng—horizontalstrokeShu—verticalstrokePie—leftfallingstrokeNa—rightfallingstrokeDian—dotstrokeTi—upwardstrokeZhe—horizontalstrokewithaverticalturnGou—verticalstrokewithahookChineseCharacters•TherearecurrentlytwosystemsofChinesecharacters.•TheSimplifiedChineseCharacterSystem简体字wasdevelopedbythePRCin1956topromoteliteracy.•TheTraditionalChineseCharacterSystem繁体字isstillusedinHongKong,Taiwan,MacauandChinesespeakingcommunities(exceptSingaporeandMalaysia)outsidemainlandChina.ChineseLanguageChineseisatonallanguage,belongingtoSino-Tibetan汉藏语系.TheSino-Tibetanlanguagesformalanguagefamilycomposedof,atleast,theChineseandtheTibeto-Burmanlanguages,includingsome250languagesofEastAsia,SoutheastAsiaandpartsofSouthAsia.ChineseLanguageChinese(Mandarin)Phonetics•Initials(consonants)•Finals(avowel,oracombinationofvowels,sometimeswithanasalattheend)•Tones(fourdistinctandonelighttones)•EachChinesecharactercorrespondstoonesyllable.Asyllableconsistsofaninitial,afinalandatone.ChineseLanguagePinyin•TheRomanizedphoneticspellingsystemcreatedin1950’sforMandarinorstandardChinese(Pu