[6 Ixora] Chinese Written Characters by

Evolution of Chinese Characters

Mdm_JC — 2025-07-02 01:56:28 UTC

1) Work in pairs to gather and share information on chinese characters.

2)Share 1 example by writing three different forms of the character in AB pg 5.

Online sources

Mdm_JC — 2025-07-02 01:56:28 UTC

Why are Chinese written characters considered a legacy of the Chinese civilisation?

Mdm_JC — 2025-07-02 01:56:28 UTC

This three look so similar but now look so different

2025-07-02 02:51:05 UTC

This is actually cool (surprisingly all planets)

2025-07-02 02:53:01 UTC

gradual evolution

Bone script

2025-07-02 02:53:06 UTC

2025-07-02 02:54:01 UTC

Chinese script was adopted by Japan, Korea, Vietnam, became the basis for Khitan Script (Mongolia), Jurchen Script (of the Manchus), and the Yi Script of the indigenous people of Yunnan Province which differs from traditional Chinese script

Origin and Beliefs

polarsnowflakebambi — 2025-07-02 02:55:03 UTC

Chinese characters, known as Hànzì (汉字), form the basis of Chinese writing and differ markedly from the alphabet system used in Western languages. Unlike letters of the alphabet, logograms represent words or compounds of words. All the world’s oldest writing systems, such as those used in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and China, use a logographic system.The earliest Chinese characters were created using pictures or pictographs, which were originally inscribed on clay pottery and bone and then later on bronze and other metals.

According to the Chinese saying “苍颉造字” (‘Cangjie created characters’), Chinese characters were the invention of Cangjie, the four-eyed official historian to the Yellow Emperor.

Cangjie was renowned for his intelligence and his amazing memory, and was tasked by the Yellow Emperor to invent a writing system to record information. Cangjie then set about studying the objects around him, the animals and other living things, geographical features, the sun, the moon and stars, to find each object’s special characteristic that differentiated it from the others. He then designed characters incorporating each of those special characteristics. The legend has it that once he had finished the gods and celestial ghosts cried because they knew that Cangjie’s invention would make human beings more cunning.

2025-07-02 02:57:10 UTC

The most significant change in Chinese characters is the introduction of simplified characters, primarily in mainland China, to replace traditional characters. This simplification process involved reducing the number of strokes in many characters, making them easier and faster to write.

Here's a more detailed look:

Simplification:
The most obvious change is the reduction of strokes in many characters. For example, the traditional character 體 (tǐ, meaning "body" or "form") is simplified to 体.
Historical Context:
This simplification was a deliberate effort, driven by the desire to increase literacy rates and make the written language more accessible.
Regional Differences:
Traditional characters are still widely used in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities.
Debate:
The simplification process has been a subject of debate, with some arguing that it sacrifices the historical and cultural significance of traditional characters.
Impact on Meaning:
While simplification generally aims to make characters easier to write, it can sometimes affect the nuances of meaning or obscure the etymological connections within the character.

2020_tan_yu_xuan_elyse — 2025-07-02 02:57:54 UTC

Most complicated chinese word

2025-07-02 02:59:00 UTC

𰻝 (one of them)

2025-07-02 02:59:40 UTC

The Chinese changed the words to make learning and writing easier

2025-07-02 03:00:16 UTC

2020_tan_yu_xuan_elyse — 2025-07-02 03:00:52 UTC

Ariel

2025-07-02 03:01:48 UTC

due to their long history, unique structure, and cultural significance

Oracle bone

2025-07-02 03:02:56 UTC

Oracle bones were the shoulder blades of ox or the plastrons of turtles, scraped and cleaned, which were inscribed with marks for divination. The ancient Chinese were very concerned with knowing the future and would go to diviners for guidance on making decisions. The diviner (someone who today would be called a 'psychic' ) would carve the person's question into the bone and heat it. When the bone would crack, the lines formed would be interpreted to answer the person's question.

Definition of Chinese characters:

2025-07-02 03:03:25 UTC

Chinese characters, known as 汉字, form the basis of Chinese writing and differ markedly from the alphabet system used in Western languages. Unlike letters of the alphabet, logograms represent words or compounds of words. All the world’s oldest writing systems, such as those used in Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and China, use a logographic system.

The earliest Chinese characters were created using pictures or pictographs, which were inscribed on clay pottery, bone, bronze and other metals.

Did you know?

Oracle bone refers to the earliest known form of Chinese writing, which was found on animal bones and turtle shells.

2025-07-02 03:03:41 UTC

Chinese written characters are considered a legacy due to their unique status as one of the oldest continuously used writing systems globally, with a history spanning over 4,000 years.

2025-07-02 03:03:55 UTC

Oracle Bone Script, or 甲骨文 was the earliest form of writing on Oracle bones used c. 1600-1000 BCE. This script was pictographic, meaning the inscription represented an object linked to a concept. Example: if one wanted to write "Should the king go hunting tomorrow?" one would carve an image of the king with his bow and sunrise.

Legends

2025-07-02 03:03:56 UTC

The Chinese characters were believed to be created by Cangjie, the four eyed official historian to the yellow emperor.