汉字与中国文化概说
汉字概说
汉字的定义
Chinese characters were independently created by the Han people as a written communication tool to meet their social and communicative needs throughout a long history of labor and practice While spoken language is ephemeral and constrained by time and space, written language transcends these limitations, broadening the scope of communication The emergence and application of writing for documenting literature marks a significant transition to civilization—language enabled humanity to evolve from primates, while writing ushered in the historical era, distinguishing humans from the barbaric past.
Chinese characters are the oldest writing system in the world, having endured for thousands of years In contrast, other ancient scripts like Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mesopotamian cuneiform have long vanished, becoming historical relics Only Chinese characters have been passed down through generations, remaining vibrant and relevant throughout history.
Chinese characters are ideographic symbols used to represent the Chinese language, consisting of radicals that closely link form, sound, and meaning Some scholars view Chinese characters as morphemes, leading to debates between word-based and character-based approaches in linguistic studies We argue that a character-based approach is more rational due to the ideographic nature of Chinese characters, although there is no significant conflict between the two perspectives Initially, Chinese characters were highly pictographic, but over time, through evolution and reform, they have become more linear and distanced from their original representations of objects.
1.1.2 汉字的构字法
The Six Principles of Writing, known as 六书, are fundamental to the formation of Chinese characters Although mentioned in the ancient text "Zhou Li," specific details were not provided It wasn't until the Eastern Han period that Xu Shen elaborated on these principles in his work "Shuowen Jiezi," which details the six methods of character formation: pictographs, ideographs, associative compounds, phonetic compounds, transfer, and borrowing.
Pictographs are a form of character creation that depict the physical characteristics of objects The concept of "drawing what it is" is exemplified by characters like 日 (sun), 月 (moon), 山 (mountain), and 水 (water), which originally illustrated their respective forms before evolving into their current shapes.
The character "瓜" is a pictogram representing a gourd, with its components symbolizing the vine, the gourd itself, and the leaves Its original meaning refers to the general term for gourd family plants Many objects in real life resemble the shape of a gourd, such as "gourd hats" and "gourd boats." The notion of "cutting like a gourd" leads to the term "瓜分," meaning to divide or allocate, often used to describe powerful nations jointly partitioning the land of weaker or underdeveloped countries Additionally, the term "傻瓜," meaning fool, originates from the ancient "瓜子族," referring to the Jiang clan in the Gua Prefecture during the Spring and Autumn period.
The "Guazi Tribe" is known for their hard work and dedication, often working tirelessly when employed However, some people perceive their honest customs as foolish, leading to the label of "fool."
The concept of 指事 refers to the method of representing abstract ideas and concepts through symbolic signs or by adding symbols to pictographs For example, the character for "person" can be placed above to denote "up" and below for "down." The character "刃" (blade) has a dot added to its edge to indicate its sharpness, while adding a horizontal line beneath "木" (wood) signifies "根" (root), and placing a horizontal line above represents "末" (tip), which can imply "later stages" among other meanings.
The method of character formation known as 会意 involves combining two or more characters to create a new one, synthesizing their meanings into a cohesive concept For instance, the characters for "sun" (日) and "moon" (月) combine to represent the idea of brightness, resulting in the character "明." Similarly, the characters for "person" (人) and "speech" (言) illustrate this method of meaning amalgamation.
合成 “信”字，意思就是人过去所言有信，就是这个人很遵守自己说过的话，
“休”，“人”和“木”合在一起，一个人靠在树上，表示休息。
Some ideographic characters are formed by overlapping two or more identical characters Typically, two-character overlaps are arranged in a side-by-side structure, while three-character overlaps often take a tower-like vertical arrangement, resembling a human pyramid in gymnastics For example, three "人" create "众," three "火" form "焱," three "木" result in "森," three "日" produce "晶," three "直" yield "矗," three "水" make "淼," and three "口" create "品."
The evolution of certain Chinese characters, known as 会意字, has obscured their original meanings For instance, the character "妇" (woman) includes a radical "女" (female) alongside a seemingly unrelated component resembling a mountain A proper analysis of its etymology can be traced back to the traditional form of "妇," where the "女" radical signifies women and the character "帚" (broom) symbolizes domestic labor Together, they convey the idea of women working at home with a broom This reflects the historical societal roles of "women inside, men outside," represented by the characters "女, 帚" for women and "力, 田" for men.
The societal context of "male farming and female weaving" reflects a historical division of labor Many characters in the Chinese language, known as "broken characters," have obscure origins For instance, the pronoun "她," which specifically refers to a third-person female in modern Chinese, did not exist in ancient China and only emerged in the 20th century.
Phonetic-ideographic characters in Chinese combine specific shapes (radicals) to represent unique sounds For instance, the character "胡" can serve as a radical, merging with various attribute radicals to form words like "蝴," "湖," "葫," "瑚," and "醐," all sharing similar pronunciations, though some may only match in initials This method of character formation is the most prevalent and expressive in Chinese, illustrating concepts such as "臭" (stink), "富" (wealthy), and "穷" (poor), where "富" signifies land ownership and "穷" relates to labor.
“贱”的繁体是“贱”，右边两个“戈”，为钱而争斗，自然是“贱”。
形声字的形旁和声旁有三种组合方式：
左形右声，比如：指、诗、估、格等字；
左声右形，比如：救、歉、剑、钦等字；
上形下声，比如：空、露、花、崭等字；
上声下形，比如：盂、货、娶、基等字；
内形外声，比如：闻、问、闷、瓣、辫、辩等字；
内声外形，比如：园、囤、病、衷、阁、匣等字。
Some phonetic characters in Chinese have undergone changes in pronunciation due to reforms, rendering their phonetic components ineffective Mispronouncing these characters by only reading half can lead to amusing misunderstandings Today, the phrase "scholars misread half a character" serves as a satire on the errors made by these scholars when reading incorrect characters.
The term "转注" refers to the mutual annotation between two characters that are synonymous but differ in form According to Xu Shen's interpretation in the Han Dynasty, "建类一首，同意相受，考、老是也," it means that "考" signifies "老." Historically, "考" could also denote "longevity," indicating that "老" and "考" share the same meaning Ancient texts often employed "老" and "考" to explain each other, as seen in phrases like "考者老也" (meaning "老" is "考") or "考者老也" (meaning "考" is "老") This concept is echoed in the "Book of Songs," particularly in the "Daya" section, where the interconnectedness of these terms is highlighted.
“周王寿考”，意思是说周王高寿。
相关研究综述
1.2 1 在中国的研究情况
Chinese characters are among the oldest writing systems in the world and serve as the foundation of Chinese language and culture, encapsulating rich cultural and philosophical information As the carriers of Chinese historical culture, the study of Chinese characters has been highly regarded throughout history As early as the Spring and Autumn period, educational texts for character recognition existed Notably, Ban Gu's "Han Shu" includes 15 essays on characters The most representative work from the Han Dynasty is Xu Shen's "Shuo Wen Jie Zi," which is recognized as the first dictionary of Chinese characters This pioneering text explains the meanings of characters, their shapes, and the relationships between meaning, form, and pronunciation, establishing a dictionary system based on radicals for character classification.
In recent years, scholars have built upon previous research to explore the fossilization of Chinese characters and the evolution of simplified and traditional Chinese writing They aim to clarify the nature, origin, and developmental processes of these characters The field of Chinese character studies has seen a significant increase in new publications, with notable works including Xie Dongyuan's "Shuowen Jiezi and Ancient Chinese Culture" (Henan People's Publishing House, 1994), Xu Zhen's "Shuowen Jiezi" (Zhonghua Book Company, 1996), and Zhang Meixia's contributions.
Books such as "Exploring Characters and Cultural Meanings" by Beijing Language and Culture University Press (2000) and He Jiuying's "Chinese Character Cultural Studies" by Liaoning People's Publishing House (2000) remain valuable references for research on Chinese characters.
梁代可谈到顾野王的《玉篇》，共有 524 部，其特色为：部首的次序与
The "Shuowen Jiezi" significantly differs from earlier works, prompting improvements such as the introduction of fanqie (phonetic annotations) and the incorporation of definitions from the "Shuowen," along with relevant examples that highlight polysemy In the Jin Dynasty, Lü Chen's "Zilin" emerged, featuring 540 radicals and notable for its extensive character collection, including variant forms Its small seal script is well-executed, and the annotations present unique interpretations, stating that "the Zilin combines both small seal and clerical scripts, effectively serving the purpose of standard clerical writing."
Yan Yuansun's "Ganlu Zishu," a renowned work from the Tang Dynasty, focuses on the study of Chinese characters The book is organized according to the four tones and rhyme groups, presenting three different writing styles—popular, standard, and formal—for the same character This work was later inscribed in stone by the famous calligrapher Yan Zhenqing.
明代梅膺祚编的《字汇》也是中国著名的汉字研究专著之一。其共 14
This book simplifies the 540 sections of "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" into 214 sections using standard script It includes many commonly used characters from ancient texts as well as numerous vernacular characters, while rare characters are minimally represented The phonetics are presented first in fanqie (a phonetic notation system) and then in direct pronunciation The definitions are clear and easy to understand This dictionary was the most widely used reference from the Ming Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, remaining prominent until the publication of the "Kangxi Dictionary."
到清代又出现段玉裁的《说文解字注》、桂馥的《说文解字义证》、王筠
The extensive body of literature on Chinese characters throughout various historical periods is exemplified by works such as "Shuowen Shili" by Xu Shen, "Shuowen Tongxun Dingsheng" by Zhu Junsheng, and "Mingyuan" by Sun Yirang, highlighting the rich scholarly tradition dedicated to the study of Hanzi.
There are numerous research monographs related to Chinese characters, but what about those specifically focusing on the character "酒"? This article explores the available studies and literature concerning the character associated with alcohol, highlighting the significance of this topic in the broader context of Chinese linguistics and culture.
Research related to the character "酉" is abundant, particularly in its connection to Chinese wine culture This character is significant in understanding the traditions and practices surrounding Chinese alcoholic beverages.
1）马芳 《浅析《说文》“酉”部字与中国酒文化》 2011年。研究专著通过
The character "酉" in "Shuowen Jiezi" is fundamentally associated with "wine." Xu Shen's explanation encompasses the origins, brewing methods, varieties, qualities, colors, flavors, and vessels of ancient Chinese alcoholic beverages Studying the "酉" radicals provides insight into China's advanced brewing techniques and rich wine culture According to Hao Lixin in "The Original Meaning of '酉'" (Modern Language, 2011), the character's form indicates its primary meaning as wine, with most characters containing "酉" relating to alcohol or fermentation "Shuowen Jiezi" states that "酉" resembles the ancient script form, representing a container for wine, with its abstract and attached nature highlighting its significance in the context of ancient brewing practices.
表示的，整个字的意义是指酒。《说文解字》训释的是“酉”的文化意义。分析
The character "酉" not only represents a wine vessel but also embodies the essence of wine itself Research by Yin Lingyan in the master's thesis "A Study of the '酉' Radical in Shuowen Jiezi" highlights the significance, form, and cultural implications of "酉" characters, tracing their evolution from ancient to modern Chinese and examining the reasons behind their varied meanings Additionally, Chen Jianing and Yang Jing's study "Exploring Ancient Chinese Wine Culture through the '酉' Radical in Shuowen Jiezi" emphasizes that the character originally symbolizes wine vessels, indicating the deep connection between wine production and agricultural development in ancient China The diversity of ancient brewing techniques and types of wine, along with the importance of bronze wine vessels during the Shang and Zhou dynasties, showcases the sophisticated brewing skills of the ancients Furthermore, Zhao Wei's report on "Wine Ritual Culture in the '酉' Radical of Shuowen Jiezi" reveals that most characters in this category relate to wine, reflecting various aspects such as ingredients, brewing processes, and cultural practices surrounding wine consumption, which continue to influence modern customs.
The profound and rich ancient Chinese wine culture reflects the beauty of its deep meanings Researching the character associated with "wine" helps to reveal ancient brewing techniques and the role of alcohol in daily life, while also highlighting its social functions and status in society This understanding significantly contributes to our comprehension of the wine etiquette culture in ancient times.
1.2.2 在越南的研究情况
Vietnam is one of the global centers for the study of Chinese characters, largely due to its historical use of Chinese characters as the official script during its feudal society's imperial examination system These characters have not only captivated Vietnamese Confucian scholars but have also permeated everyday life in Vietnam As a result, it is common to find popular folk songs in Vietnam that illustrate the shapes and meanings of Chinese characters in an accessible manner.
Chân đi chữ bát và bắc chân chữ ngũ là những hình thức đi bộ đặc trưng của người Việt, trong khi khuôn mặt chữ điền thể hiện nét đặc trưng trong văn hóa Các học giả Việt Nam đang nỗ lực nghiên cứu và phát triển ngôn ngữ, đặc biệt là việc sáng tạo ra các ký tự nôm dựa trên nguyên tắc cấu tạo chữ Hán, sử dụng các đơn vị như nét bút và bộ thủ.
Recently, the expanding economic and cultural cooperation between Vietnam and China has led to rapid development in the study and teaching of Chinese language and culture Numerous publications, articles, and seminars have deepened the Vietnamese research community's understanding of Chinese language culture, particularly concerning Chinese characters Notably, Associate Professor Pham Duc Hanh's academic papers, "Research on Chinese Characters and Ancient Chinese Handicrafts" (2008) and "Research on Chinese Characters and Chinese Life Philosophy" (2010), have made significant contributions In addition, his recent monograph, "Chinese Characters: Form and Meaning," analyzes over a hundred Chinese characters across various social life domains, highlighting the relationship between character form and meaning while revealing inherent national cultural traits Furthermore, many master's theses on Chinese characters as radicals have been produced at our country's Foreign Language University.
“女”字作为偏旁部首的汉字字义考察》、《带有“心”字作为部首的汉字研究》、