A Research On The Zhuanzhu Syustem In Chinese Characters

In our research, we find that Zhuanzhu is the basic way for the generation and reshaping of Chinese characters. Generation means the creation of new characters, reshaping means the reforming of the old characters. We draw this conclusion from the rules of the history of character - formation and the development of the whole character system. The reasons are as follows:First, three leap - forwards take place during the period of formation of Chinese characters from the invention of pictograph to the widely use of picto - phonetic, i.e. from the closed method of pictograph to semi - closed method of associative and then to the complete open method of picto - phonetic, which we give a name of "three stages of ripe of formation".Second, during the three leap - forwards, Zhuanzhu functions as a transformational mean which transforms the old formation of Chinese characters into a new one. So the typical characteristic of Zhuanhu is that it is the pivot of transformation of character formation.Third, not only as the pivot , Zhuanzhu also functions as the method and principle in reshaping or reforming the old characters.Fourth, characters reformed or reshaped in this way, has a Zhuanzhu relation (mutual annotation relation) to the original ones, characters reformed or reshaped are called the renewed characters, or the origins, characters created are called post - Zhuanhu ones, or newly reformed ones. The origins and the newly reformed ones share the same meaning and pronunciation , but differ a little bit or completely in their structures of writing.Fifth, the rules for the transformation of character formation are clockwise, anti - clockwise and paralleling transformation. The function of Zhuanzhu here is to change the developmental direction of the original character formation and to modulate its capacity of character creation.Sixth, as the principle and method, the nature of Zhuanzhu is to change the formation of the old characters to meet the needs of the society. The rules are changing the pictograph and associative characters into picto - phonetic ones, and changing the old picto - phonetic characters into new ones through adding picto - elements, phonetic elements or through changing the picto -elements and/or phonetic elements, or changing the picto - phonetic characters into associative characters, etc.Under the guidance of the opinion of changing that from the Chinese philosophical Classic Zhouyi and Kong yingda' s theory of reshaping and with the morph - transformation opinion from Yang Xiong's Zhuanyu theory as the researching method, this research makes a scrutiny into Shuo Wen Jie Zi (An Explanation on the Characters), Jiaguwen Zidian (A Dictionary of Inscriptions on Bones or Tortoise Shells ed. Xu Zhongshu), Zhanguo Guwen Zidian (Ancient Characters During the War States ed. He Iinyi) and Hanyu Da Zidian (A Dictionary of Chinese Characters ed. Xu Zhongshu, Zhao Zhenduo), and the results are the findings above.