漢字結構及其表意方式探究

The Structure of Chinese Graphs and the Ways They Signify Meaning

周國正(Chow Kwok-ching)

《中國文化研究所學報》 新3期 (1994/01) Pp. 113-143

https://doi.org/10.29708/JCS.CUHK.199401_(3).0006

並列摘要

This is an investigation on how Chinese graphs signify meaning from the perspective of the encoding and decoding processes. A framework featuring phonic-signification, iconic-signification and signal-signification is established. It is discovered that phonic-signification which operates on the conventional relationship between a pronunciation and its relevant meaning is universal among all graphs. For those graphs which bear iconic similarity with the things/state of affairs they represent, there is an additional iconic-signification. And the signal-signification naturalIy emerges from the conventional relationship which the visual structure of a graph forms with what it represent. Archaic iconic-graphs, i.e., those traditionally called xiangxing 象形 , zhishi 指事 and huiyi 會意 , make use of all three kinds of signification. In the case of xingsheng graphs 形聲字 ,contrary to common understanding, what signifies the meaning is the shengfu 聲符 by way of phonic-signification rather than the xingfu Mr-t whose major function is to distinguish homonyms. Graphs such as nung ＂濃、醲、禯、膿＂ are no more extraordinary than average xingsheng graphs. Jiajie graphs 假借字 function in the same way as the shengfu in a xingsheng graph. In all kinds of graphs, signal-signification plays an important role. This is a fact which must be recognized to account for the many phenomena the traditional liushu 六書 theory fails to explicate satisfactorily.