earticle

영어

Understanding of Chinese characters outside the Chinese cultural bloc has oscillated between two main axes. One viewpoint has emphasized the characters’ ideographic features whereas the other one has emphasized their phonetic ones yet, neither viewpoint properly explains the multi-faceted qualities of Chinese characters, which cannot be described solely as ideographs or phonographs. I proposes to point out that one must accurately understand the phonetic characteristics and semantic context hidden behind the mask of ideographs. From its nascent stage, the system of Chinese characters has progressed by embracing the tension between ideographs and phonographs. Thus, I intend to highlight that it is the interrelationship between ideographs and phonographs that has generated the meaning of Chinese characters throughout the history of this writing system. The formation of meanings in Chinese characters does not rely solely on either the semantic links of ideographs or on speech-based phonetic symbols. In general, if we regard the function of writing as mere recording of speech, this view limits too narrowly the meanings generated through display of writing. This is especially true of Chinese writing which keeps some distance from an exact recording of what was spoken. Thus, we must pay attention to the multiple facets exhibited throughout the history of Chinese writing and its interpretation and also understand clearly that Chinese writing has evolved in the midst of the tension between the two axes of phonetic and semantic features. This understanding of Chinese writing will let us see that this very tension was indeed the source of the vitality, creativity, and adaptability of Chinese characters.

중국어

除了漢字文化圈以外的地區, 對中國文字的理解有兩種觀點 : 一種認爲中國文字就是象形文字, 另一種則認爲是表音文字. 兩種觀點都沒能反應出中國文字的多面性. 筆者認爲要正確理解中國文字, 不能局限於觀察象形的表面. 而且我們要基礎於中國文字表音的特點而應該掌握意味産出的具體情況. 因爲中國文字象形性和表音性同为文字意味產生的基礎，而且中國的文字體系從一開始就是由象形和表音的內在聯系共同發展而來的.