Characters and Objects ─ an Analysis on Similarity Imagination Nature of Analogy Composition of Chinese Characters
摘要
The development of Chinese characters spans from the Han dynasty’s "Six Methods of Formation and Usage" to the contemporary "Three Methods," prompting scholars to explore Chinese character. This exploration reveals a typology that merges "truth" (veritas) and "conceptual thinking" (ratio) with "visual imagery" (Bildhaftigkeit, iconicity), highlighting the complex interplay between authenticity and conceptualization in character design. Chinese characters are formed through the human observation of worldly shapes, creating meaningful symbols through imaginative depiction. These symbols, mirroring the forms and sounds of various objects, enable the creation of new textual symbols with novel meanings. The character creation method from the traditional "Six Methods," has not been explored by previous studies. The aim of this paper was to examine ancient Chinese character symbolism, as seen in "Shuowen Jiezi," oracle bones, and bronze inscriptions, alongside bamboo and silk texts. It explored the relationship between cognitive linguistics and symbol visualization, analyzing both the explicit and implicit meanings of these symbols. By extending beyond established theories of character formation, the study probed into alternative creation method of Chinse characters. The distinct categories of characters were developed, including "using physical images to express objects" and "borrowing shapes to express things; focusing on shape/image to simulate terms" This approach highlights a variety of imagination are embedded within the character creation methods.