#pictophonetic

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 鉄

鉄 - Iron

Kun: くろがね On: テツ (Pinyin: tiě | tie3, zhì | zhi4 )

Pictophonetic: 失 indicates the sound (pinyin shī | shi1 ), 釒/ 金(metal) indicates the meaning

Strokes: 13 Radical: 金 metal

#jlpt n2 #n2 #japanese language #langblr #kanji #鉄 #pictophonetic #金 radical #grade 3

[niobefurens]

鄢陵道人 Yānlíng Dàoren: means?

Yanling Daoren is the first disciple of Bàoshān Sànrén to leave the mountain for the mortal world. When he first leaves the mountain, due to his mastery over his skills, everyone praises and admires him, and he becomes a famous cultivator of the righteous path.

Sometime later, his personality changes drastically. He becomes a villain capable of killing people without blinking twice. Xiao Xingchen recounts that in the end Yanling Daoren had died under "thousands of swords." What prompted this drastic change in personality remains a mystery.

In GDC wiki fandom: Yānlíng is defined as: fuling (?)

Yānlíng is a county in Xuchang city, Henan.

鄢 yān; pictophonetic: 焉 indicates the sound; 阝 (place) conveys the meaning.

焉 [ yān ] why? where? how?; or: strange; thereupon, then.

阝 [ yì ] place, town, city

陵 = líng; noun: mausoleum, tomb, mound;

verb: to mount, go up, ascend; also: bully and humiliate, encroach on; invade.

道人 dào ren = Dào(ist) person - one who walks the path / dào

Is he simply "a Dào(ist) person from Yānlíng"? (That's where BSSR found him?)

"One who ascends the dào?" (he is a famous and revered cultivator)

"A strange one who encroaches the path"? (he did go nuts and end up killing indiscriminately)

"Mausoleum (Monument of Death) for a Dào(ist) person"?

A strange invader who walks the path?

Any help or insight appreciated! Thank you.

#mdzs #Yānlíng Dàoren #speaking names #I love it #translation problems

[englishchinesetranslations]

Symbols

叶公好龙 (ye gong hao long) : Someone loves a certain thing outwardly, but not sincerely.

塞翁失马 (sai weng shi ma): Misfortune may actually be a blessing

因噎废食 (yin ye fei shi): to cut off one's nose to spite one's face / to avoid sth essential because of a slight risk

You may think this is due to historical reason instead of the pure advantage stems from the writing system itself. But imagine a phonetic based language, 4 syllable sounds can hardly represent anything meaningful. It’s because of the logographic nature of the Chinese language, which makes the multitude of 4-character idioms possible.

(2) Chinese is an analytical language, it's easier in the grammatical sense.

Examples:

eat (eating) ate eaten 吃 see (seeing) saw seen 看 swim (swimming) swam swum 游

We only need to add certain ‘particle’ to represent the tenses, instead of memorizing different forms (essentially new words) for the same verb.

(3) Also, there is often a logical pattern for a new character or even a new word to form.

花 (flower, 艹： floral element，化：hint for how it pronounces) 花心 （花 flower + 心 heart, flowery heart means you're fickle in love）

Combining (2) and (3), that’s why somehow I think learning Chinese actually uses up less memory space. IMO, people with better associative ability can excel in Chinese language, whereas if you are better in memorization, you'll be better in alphabetical language.

(4) Theoretically speaking, our brain can process a pictogram/symbol based image relatively easier, and Chinese as a pictophonetic language is quite efficient in that sense.

木 (symbol for a tree), 林 (two trees form a woods), 森 (three trees form a forest)

人 (a person), 从 (two persons mean follower),众 (three persons mean the masses)

(5) For information capacity, just an analogy, 1D array has fewer ways for permutations and combinations comparing to a matrix. Chinese character is analogous to a matrix comparing to alphabets.

(6) Chinese characters transcend time in the sense that after many years, even the spoken Chinese has undergone tremendous change, but an average Chinese can still read a text dated back (at least) 2000 years ago since Chinese characters won’t change due to spelling/pronunciation difference.

This picture shows the transformation of ‘Horse’.

From left to right:

Oracle bone script (1250 BCE or 1200 BCE) -> Bronze script -> Seal script (dominant in Qin dynasty(221–206 BC) ) ->Clerical script (dominant in Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)) -> Other modern Chinese scripts include Regular script, Semi-cursive script (Running script), Cursive script (Grass script)

As you can see, the 馬 character was already seen even in Bronze script era, which is around 3000 years ago.

(7) Chinese characters transcend geographical boundary in the sense that people from different provinces, probably speaking different dialects, can still use the same writing system in their official documents and appreciate the same exact written poems read in their own dialect. Thanks to the first Qin emperor for a unified Chinese writing system. Despite not having a common spoken official language in ancient time, different dialectal groups of Chinese still hold a very cohesive cultural identity.

e.g. Chin, Tan, Tang, Chen, Chan: you may think these are all different surnames given different dialect pronunciation, but in Chinese character, they are in fact all 陈（陳）

This is like out of

you create a symbol

And this symbol is for

Micheal (English), Mikael (Swedish), Mikael, Mikkel (Norwegian), Mikael, Mikkel (Danish), Maikel, Michaël, Michiel (Dutch), Michal (Czech), Mikhael (Biblical Greek), Mихaил (Russian)

(8) Chinese language is still making changes. Even though the simplification of Chinese characters receives some criticism, and I will also admit that the simplification method is not perfect, but it eases our time in writing. So yeah, sometimes I still write my note in both simplified Chinese and English even though the lessons are all conducted in English.

(9) Last but not least, seem like Chinese language has no problem surviving the internet… because the Chinese netizens are known for creating some of the dankest memes out of the Chinese characters…

e.g.

Chinese Player Names, Nicknames, and Origins

A Chinese meme a day: the 30K Anti-Mage • r/DotA2

A Chinese meme a day, keeps the low priorities away (DAC edition): Team IG • r/DotA2

Final remarks:

Another thing is China has indeed created phonetic based system for Hanzi, which is called Hanyu pinyin. Many Chinese actually use Hanyu pinyin as an input to type Chinese out in a device (there are also other methods, such as Cangjie, Wubi or handwriting which do not depend on phonetic system, but phonetic input is the more popular method). However, given that Chinese characters have so many advantages as I mentioned, and Hanzi is also more suitable for Chinese due to the fact that Chinese has many homophones. All these reasons lead to a strong vitality of Chinese language.

This is like you could have 0 and 1 for computer code, or A, G, T and C in genetic code, but it doesn’t mean expressing thing in the most basic bit is a more efficient way, right?

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 最

最 - Utmost, most, extreme

Kun: もっと.も、つま On: サイ、シュ (Pinyin: zuì | zui4 )

Pictophonetic: 取 indicates the sound (qǔ | qu3), and 宀 (roof) indicates the meaning

This kanji originally meant "gather" and was written 㝡, and would've been fairly easy to memorize due to it double-functioning as an ideograph; to put something 取 (take, fetch) under roof 宀. Later additional strokes were added below the 宀 component, possibly to depict things gathered. This was then simplified into 曰, making the kanji 最.

Over time, the meaning shifted into " to accumulate", and from there to "accumulated" -> "many" -> and then to our modern usage "most".

(最 / 㝡 as it was written during the Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), note the 宀 with additional strokes )

Strokes: 12 Radical: 曰 say

#n3 #jlpt n3 #grade 4 #pictophonetic #最 #曰 radical #kanji #japanese language #japanese #langblr

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 物

物 - thing, object, matter

Kun: もの、もの- On: ブツ、モツ (Pinyin: wù | wu4 )

Pictophonetic: 勿 indicates the sound (pinyin wù | wu4), 牛 (cow) indicates the meaning

This kanji originally meant something along the lines of "variety" depicting the variety of colors on cows (hence the meaning component 牛 cow). Meaning later shifted to the more generalized "things".

Strokes: 8 Radical: 牛 cow

#n4 #jlpt n4 #grade 3 #物 #牛 radical #pictophonetic #japanese language #langblr #kanji #japanese

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 薬

薬 - Medicine, chemical, enamel, gunpowder, benefit

Kun: くすり On: ヤク (Pinyin: yào | yao4 )

Pictophonetic: 楽 indicates the sound (pinyin lè | le4, yuè | yue4) 艹/艸 (grass) indicates the meaning

The phonetic component has changed so much it's barely recognizable in the Chinese pinyin, but it's still visibly related in the Japanese On-readings (薬 = ヤク vs 楽 = ガク、ラク)

Also ideographic: Relieving 楽 (ease, comfort) grass 艹/艸 (grass)

Strokes: 16 Radical: 艸 grass

#n3 #jlpt n3 #pictophonetic #ideographic #ideograph #grade 3 #薬 #艸 radical #japanese #japanese language #kanji #langblr

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 飾

飾 - Decorate, ornament, adorn, embellish

Kun: かざ.る、かざ.り On: ショク (Pinyin: shì | shi4 )

Pictophonetic: 飠/食 indicates the sound (pinyin shí | shi2 ), 巾 (cloth) indicates the meaning

Strokes: 13 Radical: 食 eat, food

#jlpt n1 #n1 #junior high #pictophonetic #飾 #食 radical #japanese language #langblr #kanji #japanese

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 終

終 - End, finish

Kun: お.わる、-お.わる、おわ.る、お.える、つい、つい.に On: シュウ (Pinyin: zhōng | zhong1 )

Pictophonetic: 冬 indicates the sound (pinyin dōng | dong1), and 糹/糸 (thread) indicates the meaning

Also ideographic: Finished sewing 糸 (thread) clothes for the winter 冬

Strokes: 11 Radical: 糸 thread, silk

#jlpt n4 #n4 #grade 3 #終 #糸 radical #ideographic #pictophonetic #ideograph #japanese #kanji #langblr #japanese language

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 度

度 - Degrees, occurrence, time, counter for occurrences, consider, attitude

Kun: たび、-た.い On: ド、ト、タク (Pinyin: dù | du4, duó | duo2 )

Pictographic: Someone using their hand 又 to measure a rock 石

Also Pictophonetic: 石 indicated the sound, 又 (hand) indicates the meaning

(度 as it appeared in Oracle bone script ~1250-1000 BC, stone with a hand next to it)

As kanji were being standardized and compiled, the Shuowen Jiezi seems to have interpreted this kanji as a pictophonetic kanji consisting of 又 as a meaning compound and 庶 as a phonetic compound. This could have been a mistaken interpretation due to similarities in bronze script (the top part of 石 looked like 广 without the small stroke on the top, and the 口 component didn't touch the side), or could have been a deliberate reinterpretation to retain the shape language in standardized form while also updating the possibly already outdated phonetic compound.

(石 as it appeared mid Western Zhou period ~900 BC)

(度 from the Warring States period, 476-221 BC, made with the version of 石 shown above)

(度 as it appeared in the Shuowen Jiezi ~100AD, with 广 and 廿 instead of 石)

Strokes: 9 Radical: 广 house on cliff

#n4 #jlpt n4 #pictophonetic #pictograph #pictographic #grade 3 #广 radical #度 #interesting #kanji #japanese language #langblr #japanese

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 難

難 - Difficult, impossible, trouble, accident, defect

Kun: かた.い、-がた.い、むずか.しい、むづか.しい、むつか.しい、-にく.い On: ナン (Pinyin: nán | nan2, nàn | nan4 )

Pictophonetic: 𦰩 indicates the sound (pinyin jiān | jian1), and 隹 (bird) indicates the meaning

Originally meant "type of bird". Due to similar pronounciations, the kanji was borrowed for the current meaning and eventually outcompeted the original meaning.

Strokes: 18 Radical: 隹 bird

#n3 #jlpt n3 #grade 6 #pictophonetic #隹 radical #難 #kanji #japanese language #langblr #japanese

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 何

何 - What

Kun: なに、なん、なに-、なん- On: カ (Pinyin: hé | he2 )

Ideographic: A person 亻/ 人 carrying an axe over his shoulder

Also Pictophonetic: 可 indicates the sound (pinyin kě | ke3), 亻/ 人 indicates the meaning

Originally meant "to carry / to shoulder", but due to similar pronounciations, the kanji was borrowed for the current meaning and eventually outcompeted the original meaning.

(何 as it appeared in bronze inscriptions from the late Shang dynasty, ~1200-1000BC)

When attempting to stylistically refine and standardize kanji during the late Zhou Dynasty, the phonetic 可 (pinyin kě | ke3) component was added. Technically this does not ruin the ideograph, the T-shape in 可 is meant to be an axe handle. (compare with axe radical 斤)

(The 可 kanji is a really weird etymological rabbit hole, I'll make sure to make a post on it in the future)

Strokes: 7 Radical: 人 human

#n5 #jlpt n5 #grade 2 #ideographic #ideograph #pictophonetic #何 #人 radical #kanji #langblr #japanese #japanese language

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 住

住 - Dwell, reside, live, inhabit

Kun: す.む、す.まう、-ず.まい On: ジュウ、ヂュウ、チュウ (Pinyin: zhù | zhu4 )

Pictophonetic: 主 indicates the sound (pinyin zhǔ | zhu3), and 亻/人 (person) indicates the meaning

Also ideographic: The place where a person 亻(person) hosts as master 主 (lord, master)

Strokes: 7 Radical: 人 human

#n4 #jlpt n4 #grade 3 #pictophonetic #ideographic #ideograph #住 #人 radical #japanese language #japanese #kanji #langblr

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 歌

歌 - Song, sing

Kun: うた、うた.う On: カ (Pinyin: gē | ge1 )

Pictophonetic: 哥 indicates the sound (pinyin gē | ge1), 欠 (yawn, open mouth) indicates the meaning

This component 可 is incredibly strange.

So originally, this 可 kanji actually meant "song, to sing"! It's composed of a mouth 口 to indicate the meaning as well as an axe handle (compare T-shape with the axe radical 斤) to indicate the sound.

可 became a popular phonetic component, eventually used as a phonetic component in 柯 ...axe handle. You know, the word 可 uses as its phonetic component.

Then 可 was once again used as a phonetic component, this time pretty creatively in 哥 (Chinese: Older brother). Still pronounced gē, duplicated in the kanji to make the meaning clear (the sound is meant to duplicate, older brother in mandarin is gēge, written 哥哥)

At some point, 可 had completely lost its original meaning to a phonetic loan. At that point, around ~500BC, this 歌 kanji appeared in its stead, using 哥 as a phonetic component.

In a way, this kanji is its own grandpa!

Strokes: 14 Radical: 欠 lack, yawn

#n4 #jlpt n4 #grade 2 #欠 radical #歌 #pictophonetic #japanese language #langblr #kanji #japanese

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 代

代 - Substitute, change, convert, replace, period, age, counter for decades of ages, eras, etc., generation, charge, rate, fee

Kun: か.わる、かわ.る、かわ.り、か.わり、-がわ.り、-が.わり、か.える、よ、しろ On: ダイ、タイ (Pinyin: dài | dai4 )

Pictophonetic: 弋 represented the sound (pinyin yì | yi4), 亻/人 (person) represents the meaning

(The phonetic compound is barely noticable anymore due to historical phonetic changes in Chinese.)

Originally this kanji only meant "to substitute", but it was further abstracted to refer to ages and generations (as in one generation "replacing" another) and is now commonly used as an indefinite generational counter (a person in their 30's = 30代, a person born in the 1960s = 60年代 )

Strokes: 5 Radical: 人 human

#jlpt n4 #n4 #grade 3 #pictophonetic #代 #人 radical #langblr #japanese language #kanji

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day: 誰

誰 - Who, someone, somebody

Kun: だれ、たれ、た On: スイ (Pinyin: shuí | shui2, shéi | shei2)

Pictophonetic: 隹 indicates the sound (pinyin zhuī | zhui1), 言 (speech) indicates the meaning

Strokes: 15 Radical: 言 speech

#junior high #pictophonetic #誰 #言 radical #japanese language #kanji #japanese #langblr

[kanjiexplained]

Kanji of the day Year: 税

税 - Tax, duty

Kun: N/A On: ゼイ (Pinyin: shuì | shui4 )

The Kanji of the Year, 2023!

Pictophonetic: 兑/兌 indicates the sound (pinyin duì | dui4), 禾 (grain) indicates the meaning

Also ideographic: Paying an offering 兌 (exchange) of grain 禾

Strokes: 12 Radical: 禾 grain

#n2 #jlpt n2 #grade 5 #税 #禾 radical #pictophonetic #ideograph #ideographic #kanji #langblr #japanese language