Character Dictionary

 

《 字 解 》Foreword

 

 

The earliest Chinese characters were pictograms, and contemporary characters remain within the logographic framework. Thus, the key to mastering the Chinese language lies in the recognition of Chinese characters, just as phonics is the key to learning languages that employ an alphabetic writing system. Through the fascinating analysis and dissection of Chinese characters, Zi Jie (Exposition of Chinese Characters) reveals the wonders in the construction of these characters, as well as the multiple layers of meanings and history embedded in them. Zi Jie will aid in making the teaching and learning of the Chinese language more engaging and interesting. It will also go some way in dispelling the commonly held view that Chinese characters are difficult to read, write and memorize.：

 

Zi Jie transcends the conventional functions of a dictionary; it is, concurrently, also a thesaurus, a text on linguistics and a reference book for calligraphy. It is a unique and pioneering compendium in the following aspects:

The 5000-odd characters collected in this dictionary are split into 39 categories, with 4 related characters grouped on each page to form discrete units. This creative arrangement allows for comparison and inference between related characters, as well as a choice between synonyms. It will facilitate a more precise understanding and use of the Chinese language. Moreover, the user will be able to find characters even without knowing their structure and pronunciation through related characters. Furthermore, the conventional phonetic (pin yin), character radical (bu shou), and stroke number (bi hua) indexes are included for the user’s convenience.

Pictograms based on rigorous linguistic research are designed for all the characters. Bridging form and meaning, the pictograms illuminate the characters' connotations and aid in understanding and learning them. The pictograms presented here form the most extensive collection among the dictionaries published to date. They are simple, standardized and accurate in conveying the pictographic and symbolic traits of the characters.

Complementing the pictograms are illustrations of the evolution of characters; from ancient oracle bone (jia gu wen), bronze vessel (jin wen) and seal (zhuan shu) scripts to contemporary clerical (li shu) and regular (kai shu) scripts. By seeking the source and tracing the development of characters, the illustrations will facilitate a deeper understanding of the characters’ form, pronunciation and meaning. In addition, the writer includes original research on the form and meaning of modem simplified Chinese characters (jian ti zi).

The expository potential of phonetic radicals (sheng pang) is an oft unknown or neglected aspect of Chinese characters. Consequently, a means of understanding the characters at the fundamental level is lost. In response, the writer analyses these radicals in detail so as to explain the characters thoroughly.

Amongst other reasons, the grouping of some characters as ideo-phonograms (xing sheng zi) is no longer relevant due to changes in pronunciation with the passage of time. The writer is decisive in grouping these more accurately, as compound-ideograms (hui yi zi).

With regards to characters that to date have not been satisfactorily analyzed, ideo-phonograms that have had their expository function forgotten, and simplified characters that differ fundamentally from their traditional form, the author has put in significant efforts in analyzing them, and achieved commendable results. Amongst the explanations discussed, some were not intended in the process of character construction/simplification, but, as in a work of literature, it is possible to generate new meaning and understanding of an existing character. This is an unconventional approach to philology, but it involves many understanding issues in explaining character meaning. Moreover, it will help in making the Chinese language more systematic and easier to teach and learn.

Under classical Chinese philological classification, more than 85 percent of Chinese characters are ideo-phonograms. This is contrary to the expressive nature of the Chinese language. In categorizing merely 53 percent of characters as ideo-phonograms after extensive research, and in re-discovering much expository function in phonetic radicals, the writer seeks to realign Chinese philology with the true nature of the Chinese language.

The momentous task of writing a dictionary, usually shared among a team of scholars, is entirely undertaken by one man. In addition, the writer drew all the ideograms and diagrams himself so as to achieve a complete synthesis of text and imagery. This compendium is the fruit of ten years of labour. Zi Jie is both extensive in range and material, approachable and highly readable. It will aid students in the understanding and learning of Chinese characters, and, thereby, appreciate Chinese language, Chinese culture and their origin. For teachers and scholars, it will be an invaluable reference text.

The Editor

January 2007

 

《 字 解 》选学