The Importance On Textual Research Of Pre-Qin Chinese Characters By Mastering Writing Characteristics

Abstract:Through the discusses and examples about the role and application of writing characteristics in textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters and the problems which should be paid attention to in carrying out textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters by using writing characteristics, this paper argues that it is very important to master writing characteristics while doing textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters. We hope that researchers may take great importance on textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters by mastering writing characteristics after reading this paper. Meanwhile, they may regard writing characteristics as primary consideration while carrying out textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters or pondering other related problems.This paper consists of six parts.The first part is Introduction, in which we introduce the significance of studying on textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters by using writing characteristics.The second part is the Overview of Approaches of Textual Research of Pre-Qin Chinese Characters and Writing Characteristics of Pre-Qin Chinese Characters. In this part, we provide a sketch of the approaches of textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters, the writing characteristics of Pre-Qin Chinese characters and the development of studying both. We present a neodoxy that the Structural Analytical Approach is also an approach of textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters, which owns a equal status to the Writing Comparative Approach. So far as I know, this is a theoretical innovation in approaches of textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters.The third part is the Role of Writing Characteristics in Textual Research of Pre-Qin Chinese Characters. It is specified in four aspects about the role of writing characteristics in textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters. First, it can give specific help to textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters. Second, it can enhance the recent depth of the Historical Comparative Approach. Third, it can help researchers judge whether a textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese character is logical. Fourth, it can help researchers establish a scientific outlook about writing characteristics and textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters. In this part, we defend Yang Shuda’s theory of textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters which proposed in the preface of his book Jiweiju Jinwen Shuo and affirm the scientific value and historical contributions of his theory.The fourth part is the Application of Writing Characteristics in Textual Research of Pre-Qin Chinese Characters, which is the main part of this paper. In this part, from the aspects of textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters by using Subtract Strokes Characteristics, Add Strokes Characteristics, Change Strokes Characteristics, Others and Multiple Writing Characteristics, through a large number of successful examples about textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters by using writing characteristics, this paper argues that it is very important to master writing characteristics while explaining Pre-Qin Chinese characters.The fifth part is the Problems Should be Paid Attention to in Carrying out Textual Research of Pre-Qin Chinese Characters by Using Writing Characteristics. There are several negative tendencies by using writing characteristics to do textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters. First, a lot of researchers, who abused the writing characteristics, affirmed that a Pre-Qin Chinese character has some certain writing characteristics on the condition of no conclusive evidences. Second, some researchers, who failed to understand the complexity of the change in Pre-Qin Chinese characters, identified to the same character as long as several Pre-Qin Chinese characters have the same form. Third, a large number of researchers took a part of a Pre-Qin Chinese character as its sound-symbol for granted and then solved problems by using the principle of sounds Tongjia. In response to those negative tendencies, this paper puts forward the problems which should be paid attention to in carrying out textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters by using writing characteristics. First, there must be some conclusive evidences of the context, pronunciation or variant when saying a Pre-Qin Chinese character has certain writing characteristics. No talking off hand! Second, it is so complicated in the change in Pre-Qin Chinese characters that we ought not to look at them in a mechanical and isolated way. Third, we should make more effort to find the relationship of the relevant characters and as little as possible use the way of Tongjia and Shenghua to solve problems. We hope that researchers could use writing characteristics more efficiently to do textual research of Pre-Qin Chinese characters and avoid those negative tendencies.The last part is Conclusion.From a long time before, theoretical research is a weak point in the documents of studying Pre-Qin Chinese characters. We hope that this paper may compensate for the limits to a certain extent and make some contributions to the theoretical study of Pre-Qin Chinese characters.