A Study On The Pictographs(xiangxingzi) Of Dongba Scripts

Naxi Dongba scripts is an ancient writing system and more primitive than the inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells.The Pictograph(xiangxingzi),the first character-building structure of the writing system,has an absolute advantage in the Dongba scripts and particularly can show its originality.The Pictograph(xiangxingzi)of Dongba scripts is discussed in this dissertation,based on previous research results-Naxi Pictographs,Naxi Ideographs and Transcriptions characters Dictionary and a large number of thesises.According to the theory of Gneneral Written Languages and Comparative Written Linguists,this dissertation has described and discussed The Pictograph(xiangxingzi)of Dongba scripts in these intension,extension,classification,specific phenomena aspects.This dissertation is divided into five chapters:The first chapter is the introduction,introducing the history and problems of Dongba scripts,the significance of the topic,the theoretical basis,selected materials as well as the purposes and methods of this study.In chapter two,we specify the definition of the Pictograph(xiangxingzi).On the basis of previous theoretical studies,Furtherly,We discuss the conceptual category of Dongba pictographs.In addition,we describe the differences and relations between pictograph(xiangxingzi)and self-explantory,pictograph and associative compound charcter.Moreover,we can clearly understand the intension and extension of the Dongba Pictograph.In chapter three,We summarize several situations that the Dongba Pictographs(xiangxingzi)act as character components.Mainly the Dongba Pictographs act as character Components of self-explanatory and associative compound characters,thesymbol of form and pronuncation,as well as etymological words of which the meaning is borrowed.Also,We analysis their functions.In chapter four,from the graphs' formation mechanism angle,we focus on the classification of the Dongba Pictograph.We reveal the characteristics of primitive writing and the ways to form characters.We collated and analysed the peculiar phenomenons,which mianly includes the part-of-speech,variant phenomenons and homonyms phenomenons.In chapter five,From the perspectives of Symbolic posture and character system,we compare conduct the comparative study about pictographs in the Dongba scripts and ancient Chinese characters.Then we sum up the original characteristic of Dongba scripts.The last chapter is conclusion.Based on generalizing the content of the whole paper,This chapter summarizes some typical merits of he Dongba scripts.Then,We come to the final conclusion.The innovation of this paper lies in the following aspects:(1)We specify the definition of the Pictograph,and found that pictographic characters is hierarchical in the development of characters.Always,The Pictograph(xiangxingzi)is the earlist generated character-building type of the writing system.the Pictograph(xiagnxingzi)associated with the production and life is emerged fristly.This is related to the origin of the character.The generation of characters and development is regular.(2)Through the analysis of the pictograph(xiangxingzi)as a character component,we found that the pictograph(xiangxingzi)is mainly used as a character component which can be a character independently.The main function they played is the semantic function.When the pictograph(xiangxingzi)used as a character component,they don'tlose its meaning completely,but invovled in the meaning with their slef-meanings,extended meanings and figurative meanings.(3)From the point of view of the character formation mechanism,the dissertation classifies the Dongba pictographs(xiangxingzi),which can be divided into the original pictographs(xiangxingzi)and the new pictographs(xiangxingzi).After the analysis,we noticed that the development of Dongba pictograph is periodic,reflecting that the word-formation thought is changed from simple to complex.(4)From different angles,we analyzed the peculiar phenomenons of Dongba pictographs(xiangxingzi),Then Primarily found the part-of-speech,variant phenomenons and homonyms phenomenons.The part-of-speech of Dongba pictographs is the noun and the verb,then the adjective and the classifier.Variant phenomenons arise frequently.homonyms are a lot.these phenomenons are common and special in the primitive writing.(5)From the perspectives of Symbolic posture and character system,we conduct the comparative study about pictographs in the Dongba scripts and ancient Chinese characters.by comparing several pictographs(xiangxingzi),the result reflects the diference in the two character systems.We discovered that Dongba scripts are more primitive than ancient Chinese characters.