The Creation Idea of the Character Rou
Resource
臺大中文學報, 22, 001-013
Journal
臺大中文學報
Journal Issue
22
Pages
001-013
Date Issued
2005-06
Date
2005-06
Author(s)
Hsu, James
Abstract
The Small Seal form of the character rou is composed of a mou (spear) character above a mu (wood) 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 ofa ran (soft skin) above a wood. This shows a softening process done by rubbing a piece of leather on a wooden pole. Ran is a rarely used character and easily be distorted and mistaken as the commonly seen character mou. It is difficult to interpret the meaning of "soft" from the combination of a spear above wood and thus, to analyze it as a phonetic compound: 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
柔
□
形聲
聲符
象意
表意
會意
訛變
結構
The han dictionary shuowenjiezi
Rou ran
Soft
Soft skin
Phonetic compound
Associative compound
A character form being distorted
Rime
Labial
Dental
Velar
Type
journal article
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