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Discussion about monosyllabism of Chinese must take careful aim at the object. Otherwise we may come to a wrong conclusion. The idea of `monosylIabism` is different from a `monosyllabic word` , for it means `the essential characteristics of the Chinese language` . The language unit of monosyllabism is a monosyllabic morpheme not only in classical Chinese but also in modern Chinese. So, an explanation of classical monosyllabic words and modem polysyllabic words has nothing to do with Chinese monosyllabism. In classical Chinese, this monosyllabic morpheme has a free trait, so it would play the role of a word. And in modem Chinese, its function as an immediate constituent of a compound word is increasing. When we use the statistical data, `token` (詞次) as well as `type (詞數) must be taken into consideration. In connection with this, the monosyllabic word that is small in quantity has a high frequency. Monosyllabism may be treated together with general Chinese characteristics such as tone, non-inflection or isolating state. In this case the Chinese letter also can be taken into account, for one letter coincides with a monosyllabic morpheme and it also represents a sememe in principle.
