The origins of Chinese characters

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Translated from Zongyi Wu

The origins of Chinese characters

从仓颉造字的古老传说到100多年前甲骨文的发现，历代中国学者一直致力于揭开汉字起源之谜。 From Changjei creation of the ancient legend to Oracle more than 100 years ago, the discovery of ancient Chinese scholars have been opened to the mystery of the origin of Chinese characters.
关于汉字的起源，中国古代文献上有种种说法，如“结绳”、“八卦”、“图画”、“书契”等，古书上还普遍记载有黄帝史官仓颉造字的传说。 On the origin of Chinese characters, ancient Chinese literature, there are saying, such as "guitar string", "nosy", "picture", "book DMC", the ancient books are also widely documented Huangdi historiographer Changjei defined legends. 现代学者认为，成系统的文字工具不可能完全由一个人创造出来，仓颉如果确有其人，应该是文字整理者或颁布者。 Modern scholars believe that the text as a system tool can not be completely created by one person, Changjei if they are indeed, the text should be enacted or are finishing.

最早刻划符号距今8000多年 Characterization of the earliest symbols 8000 years ago

最近几十年，中国考古界先后发布了一系列较殷墟甲骨文更早、与汉字起源有关的出土资料。 In recent decades, China's archaeological circles have issued a series of earlier than Oracle Yinxu, and the excavation of the origin of Chinese characters relevant information. 这些资料主要是指原始社会晚期及有史社会早期出现在陶器上面的刻画或彩绘符号，另外还包括少量的刻写在甲骨、玉器、石器等上面的符号。 These data mainly refers to a primitive society and advanced in the early history of the above appears in pottery or painting depicts symbols, and also includes a small amount of writing in the Oracle Bone, jade, stone and other top symbol. 可以说，它们共同为解释汉字的起源提供了新的依据。 It can be said that their common explanation for the origin of Chinese characters provide a new basis.

通过系统考察、对比遍布中国各地的19种考古学文化的100多个遗址里出土的陶片上的刻划符号，郑州大学博士生导师王蕴智认为，中国最早的刻划符号出现在河南舞阳贾湖遗址，距今已有8000多年的历史。 Through systematic study, as compared with around 19 species in various parts of China's more than 100 archaeological and cultural sites of pottery unearthed in the characterizations symbols, Zhengzhou University doctoral tutor Wangwenzhi that characterization of China's earliest symbols appear in Wuyang Jiahu in Henan sites, has since 8000 years of history.

作为专业工作者，他试图通过科学的途径比如综合运用考古学、古文字构形学、比较文字学、科技考古以及高科技手段等一些基本方法，进一步对这些原始材料做一番全面的整理，从而爬梳排比出商代文字之前汉字发生、发展的一些头绪。 As a professional workers, he tried to scientific means such as the integrated use of archaeology, ancient writing of configuration, compared philology, science and technology as well as high-tech means, such as archaeological some of the basic ways to further these raw materials to a comprehensive collating, thereby climb Salisbury Parallelism text before the Shang Dynasty in Chinese characters, the development of the idea.

然而情况并不那么简单，除了已有郑州商城遗址、小双桥遗址(该遗址近年先后发现10余例商代早期朱书陶文)的小宗材料可以直接和殷墟文字相比序之外，其它商以前的符号则零星分散，彼此缺环较多，大多数符号且与商代文字构形不合。 However, the situation is not so simple, apart from Zhengzhou mall has been the site of small Shuangqiaoshan sites (the site in recent years have discovered that more than 10 cases of the early Shang Shu Tao Zhu)小宗material can be directly compared and the Yin Ruins text sequence, the other to the previous symbol was sporadic scattered, their lack ring more, the majority of symbols and text configuration of the Shang Dynasty and substandard. 还有一些符号地域色彩较重、背景复杂。 Some symbols heavier geographical color, the background is complex.

汉字体系正式形成于中原地区 Chinese character system was officially formed in the Central Plains region

王蕴智认为，汉字体系的正式形成应该是在中原地区。 Wang Yunzhi, the Chinese system should be officially formed in the Central Plains region. 汉字是独立起源的一种文字体系，不依存于任何一种外族文字而存在，但它的起源不是单一的，经过了多元的、长期的磨合，大概在进入夏纪年之际，先民们在广泛吸收、运用早期符号的经验基础上，创造性地发明了用来记录语言的文字符号系统，在那个时代，汉字体系较快地成熟起来。 Chinese characters are independent of the origin of a text, not dependent on any of the alien text exist, but its origin is not a single through multiple, long-term adjustments, and probably into the summer in the Annals of, in the ancient extensively absorb and use the experience of the early symbols on the basis of creativity and invention of the language used to record the text message system, in that era, the Chinese character system rapidly mature.

据悉，从考古发掘的出土文字资料来看，中国至少在虞夏时期已经有了正式的文字。 It was learned that from the archaeological excavations unearthed text data, China has been, at least in a formal period Yujia text. 如近年考古工作者曾经在山西襄汾陶寺遗址所出的一件扁陶壶上，发现有毛笔朱书的“文”字。 In recent years, such as archaeological workers have in Xiangfen, Shanxi Taosi relics from a flat clay pots, Zhu found on the brush "text". 这些符号都属于早期文字系统中的基本构形，可惜这样的出土文字信息迄今仍然稀少。 These symbols belong to the early writing system in the basic configuration, unearthed Unfortunately this text messages are still scarce.

文字最早成熟于商代 [Earliest mature in the Shang Dynasty

就目前所知和所见到的殷商文字资料来说，文字载体的门类已经很多。 As far as we know and have seen the Shang text information, text vector has been a lot of categories. 当时的文字除了用毛笔书写在简册上之外，其他的主要手段就是刻写在龟甲兽骨、陶器、玉石上以及陶铸在青铜器上。 In addition to the letter was written with a brush in the SR book, the other is the primary means of writing in the turtle shell Shougu, pottery, jade, as well as their guest in the bronze. 商代文字资料以殷墟卜用甲骨和青铜礼器为主要载体，是迄今为止中国发现的最早的成熟文字。 Shang Yin Ruins BU text information to use for the Oracle Bone and bronze at the main carrier, China is by far the earliest that the mature text.

殷墟时期所反映出来的商代文字不仅表现在字的数量多，材料丰富，还突出地表现在文字的造字方式已经形成了自己的特点和规律。 Yin Ruins during the period of the Shang Dynasty character reflected not only in the number of words, material wealth, was conspicuously displayed in text mode has been defined developed its own characteristics and laws. 商代文字基本字的结体特征可分为四大类:取人体和人的某一部分形体特征为构字的基础;以劳动创造物和劳动对象为构字的基础;取禽兽和家畜类形象为构字的基础;取自然物象为构字的基础。 Shang text of the statement of the basic characteristics of the word can be divided into four categories: from humans and the physical characteristics of a part of the foundation of configuration; labor and the creation of the subject of labor as the foundation of configuration; from animals and livestock categories image as the foundation of configuration; from the natural spirits as the foundation of configuration. 从构形的文化内涵上来考察，这些成熟较早的字形所取裁的对象与当初先民们的社会生活相当贴近，具有很强的现实性的特征。 Configuration from the cultural connotations of Investigation, which mature earlier admitted to the CD shaped object with the original inhabitants of their social life very close to the reality of a very strong character. 同时，这些字形所描写的内容涉及到了人和自然的各个层面，因而还具有构形来源广泛性的特征。 At the same time, shaped by the description of these relate to the content and nature of all levels, which also has extensive sources of configuration features.