earticle

영어

This article is on special qualities of Chinese letter from the semiotic perspective. We will question the general myth about Chinese letter as ideogram opposing to alphabet, and also
pay attention to its alphabetic characteristics. In addition, through critical reconsidering the myth on the universality of Chinese letter (the myth of universal language in 17th Europe) in the light of indexicality, we make clear an advantage(complete correspondence with real world) and weakness (too many words and difference from phonetic level) of the indexicality, embedded in Chinese letter.
There has been continual endeavor to coexist ideogram of Chinese letter and alphabetic characteristics of native language in many cultures which borrow Chinese letter like Korea
and Japan. In this respect it is necessary to be more concerned about conflict and tension
between ideographic and alphabetic aspect of Chinese letter. Through this analysis we will
be able to understand semiotic specificity of Chinese letter more deeply, being free of general myth on Chinese letter.