The Creation Idea of Character rou
Resource
臺大中文學報,22, 1-14
Journal
臺大中文學報
Journal Issue
22
Pages
1-14
Date Issued
2005-01-19
Date
2005-01-19
Author(s)
Hsu, James
DOI
246246/2006121215550012
Abstract
The Small Seal form of the character rou is composed of a mou character above a mu character. The Han dictionary Shuowenjiezi considers it as a pictophonetic compound combining a wood radical and a phonetic element mou. Usually the rime of a character is the same as its phonetic element. Their initial should also be in the same category, e.g. same labial, dental or velar. But, the initial of the mou is a labial, while that of the rou is a dental. Thus, it is very possible that the character rou is an associative compound but not a phonetic compound. Judging from the changes in forms of the character rou from the Warring States to the Han periods, it is quite possible that the character rou is composed of a ran above a wood. This shows a softening proces done by rubbing a piece of leather on a wooden pole. Ran is a rarely used character and easily be distorted and meaning of 'soft' from the combination of a spear above wood and thus, to analyze it as a phonetic compund. Also, based on the course of its changing forms, the current Small Seal form of the character rou should not have been developed before the Western Han period.
Subjects
The Han
dictionary
Shuowenjiczi: rou(soft) ran(soft skin)
phonctic compound
associative compund
A character form being distorted
rimc
labial
dental
velar
Publisher
臺北市：國立臺灣大學中國文學系
Type
journal article
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