Natural Association between Image and Meaning:The Mechanism of Chinese Characters as Aesthetic Signs(PDF)
《南京师大学报》（社会科学版）[ISSN:1006-6977/CN:61-1281/TN]
- Issue:
- 2014年05期
- Page:
- 141-
- Research Field:
- Publishing date:
Info
- Title:
- Natural Association between Image and Meaning:The Mechanism of Chinese Characters as Aesthetic Signs
- Author(s):
- LUO Dong-qing
- Keywords:
- san-shu三书; Chinese characters as aesthetic signs; mode of existence; creating image for meaning expression
- PACS:
- -
- DOI:
- -
- Abstract:
- On the basis of Xushen’s theory of liu-shu 六书(six types of character formation), Tang Lan proposed his theory of san-shu三书(three types of character formation), i.e. xiang-xing 象形(pictograph), xiang-yi象意(ideograph), and xing-sheng形声(phone-semantic compound). Later, Qiu Xigui put forward his neo-sanshu theory which identifies the following three types of character formation in written Chinese language: biao-yi 表意(ideogram), jia-jie 假借(phonetic loan character)and xing-sheng形声(phone-semantic compound). However, both types of san-shu theory reduce “meaning” to a lower-level concept and undervalue the element of “image” in Chinese characters. The major cause for this defect lies in the fact that both of them lack adequate awareness of and empathy for the dimension of Chinese characters as aesthetic signs. Chinese characters are characterized by their embodiment of rich and abstract images, which are the fruits of abstractions and generalizations of specific real life activities and entities and thus mirror the wisdom and spirit of Chinese people. That is, Chinese spirit and way of understanding the world are still alive in the form of Chinese characters. The image and meaning, forming an organic whole in Chinese characters, play a fundamental role in their evolution. The abstraction involved in the formation of Chinese characters shows how they capture and convey meanings, and is able to awaken us to the great Chinese tradition of expressing meaning through freehand impressionistic images. Xiang-xing and xiang-yi, two results of the great tradition of integrating image and meaning, create a vast aesthetic space through two mechanisms of “image beyond image” and “meaning beyond meaning”. Therefore, we have to rise above the epistemological level and enter the realm of aesthetics if we want to develop a due understanding of Chinese characters.
Last Update: 2014-10-05