For the sake of clarity, please forgive me for taking a detour. First, it is still difficult to determine how long the history of Chinese characters is. Guo Moruo once thought it had a history of about 6,500 years, and some historians and philologists thought it had a history of at least 6,000 years. Starting from the site of Jiahu, some carved symbols have been gradually discovered, some of which are very similar to Oracle Bone Inscriptions. However, due to the small number of inscriptions found, it is difficult to systematically study these inscriptions and prove their literal nature. Mr. Xu Zhongshu believed that there was a powerful witch history group-"Ren Zhen" in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, so Oracle Bone Inscriptions was formed. He thinks there are no words in summer. Mr. Xu has made great achievements in historiography and ancient philology, but this conclusion can be regarded as one's own opinion. Oracle Bone Inscriptions has been judged as a very mature writing by Chinese and foreign scholars. During the 300 years from the first 1300 years in Pan Geng to the first 1600 years in Shang Tang, it is doubtful whether Oracle Bone Inscriptions can be matured so quickly by relying on the efforts of businessmen themselves. Second, after all, the earliest Chinese characters we can see are only Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Xu Shen, who wrote Shuo Wen Jie Zi in the Eastern Han Dynasty, has an important viewpoint on the formation of Chinese characters-Wen He Zi is two stages in the development of Chinese characters, that is, it has experienced a historical process of transition from picture symbols to phonetic symbols-pictographic characters describe the image and state of things according to categories; "Sound and form complement each other" means adding notes to radicals, that is, developing from pictures and characters to phonography. Shuowen contains 105 16 Chinese characters, of which 20% are pictographs of the same type and 80% are pictographs. But in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, the proportion is the opposite. At present, there are nearly 5,000 characters collected in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, but less than 2,000 can be read. Some words of names and places are meaningless after reading them, and have nothing to do with later Chinese characters. Among them, about 65. % are pictographs classified by category, and about 32% are pictographs whose shapes and sounds complement each other. There are still a few that cannot be classified for the time being. First, it can be seen that Chinese characters do have a process of homologous development; Secondly, there are 32% pictophonetic characters in Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Shang Dynasty, which shows that it is quite mature as a written language. Thirdly, the legend of "Cang Xie made Chinese characters" cannot be confirmed, and it is impossible for one person to make many Chinese characters at a time. Most likely, as yuval Hullary, an Israeli geek, said, due to people's "memory overload" and the urgent need to invent words, our ancestors created the original "words" in their labor practice and daily life by virtue of their long-term accumulation and excellent descriptive ability, or by paying attention to shapes and outlines or gesture characteristics. For example, according to human organs, branches and buds of plants and trees, scaly claws of animals, Fiona Fang's tortuous vessels, etc. These words are cut and written in an abstract and exaggerated way. These words have the characteristic of expressing meaning in a structural way. Although it is not as lifelike as painting, its image is clear and concise, which is beneficial to identification. Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Yin and Shang Dynasties, based on these basic glyphs, then compounded them as radicals, forming a large number of writing forms. Fourthly, speaking of which, it is easier to understand why the word "human" is written like this-it is "based on the physiological characteristics of the human body and a certain part of the human body as the basis of word formation"-the upright human form on the side represents the average person in a broad sense, so it is very unreliable to infer the moral significance of the word "human" from the left and right. There is a similar word formation method: corpse, like a person lying on his side; Body, like the shape of human beings when they are pregnant; Tail, like a person with a tail shape; Ren, literally, is like a person standing on the ground; Old, like a person leaning against long hair, and so on. These are the basic glyphs made according to the different characteristics of human beings. According to the different characteristics of the front of the human body, the basic glyphs are: large, with the front figure standing at the end and hands outstretched to show big; Heaven, positive human form, prominent head, the original meaning is the top of the head; Cross, cross the lower limb front humanoid; Standing, standing on the ground like a human figure; Like two adults shoulder to shoulder. There are also basic glyphs made according to the characteristics of human limbs and activities; The basic glyphs made according to an organ and related features of human body will not be described in detail. Fifthly, scholars' research on Oracle Bone Inscriptions has now entered a very detailed stage. For example, in addition to the above-mentioned word formation methods based on human characteristics, scholars have also summarized three other word formation methods in Oracle Bone Inscriptions-based on labor creation and labor object; Image features based on animals and livestock; Taking objective natural images as the basis of word formation. For example, clothes, in the form of coats, are also the first words of autumn; A ship, like a ship; A car, like the outline of a car; A net, like a trap; Bow, like a bow with strings; Grain, like the shape of grain; Bird's-eye view; The sun and the moon are like the shape of the sun and the moon; Mountains, like mountains with three peaks, and so on. Starting from these basic characters, magnificent Chinese character buildings were gradually built. The research in this field needs profound professional knowledge. In society and on the Internet, it is a way to decipher Chinese characters with strokes, especially those after Xiao seal.
Before answering this question, let me talk to myself and share my two views:
First, the survival of ancient people was extremely difficult. Living is a proposition that can never be ignored, and coining words is time-consuming and laborious, which can never be done by one person for a while.
Second, the comprehensive appearance of Chinese characters, how many weak and wise people who are unwilling to be mediocre and constantly strive for self-improvement, with their short life, ugliness, wisdom and persistence without regrets, have achieved those Chinese characters that are different and perfect day by day.
In other words, the so-called fragrance of calligraphy in your eyes is nothing more than the goddess Chang 'e, wearing clothes and feathers, and her skin is as thick as fat. The source of what I said is that Chang 'e baby girl was lonely when she first landed, naked, covered in meconium and ugly!
With these two points of knowledge, it is necessary for us to continue our conversation. Otherwise, if you insist that Uncle Cang Xie did it himself, I will try my best to refute it: Fuck you! Chinese characters are profound and profound, which is not the beauty that Cang Xie or any shameless bird can enjoy alone!
As for word-making, the real behind-the-scenes heroes are the short-lived, wise and obscure sages and prophets. It is through their endless wisdom and the perfect relay of youth that they gradually formed a set of so-called Chinese characters that are close to perfection but never perfect.
In other words, the people are the people who really create words. Although they have fallen into the dust and lived a hard life, they live a real, solid, diligent and hard-working life! It is this kind of cloth that created our words, not those arrogant, extravagant and ignorant super cows in the golden salon! !
In the prosperity of burning words, there are many finishing touches. From a practical point of view, the more commonly used words, the more concise and efficient they should be.
As hunters, the life of primitive people is more like an unexpected wildfire. Maybe it will start a prairie fire when it burns, or it will go out when it burns.
People need to show the essential difference between human and bird, and between animals and beasts as accurately as possible, so people choose the word lame: people!
With the passage of time, no one can be sure what the earliest humanoid figures in human history mean, but it seems that there is no problem to understand people as bipeds.
Maybe someone will find fault: "Rooster and hen also walk on two legs, why not call them men and women?" ! Because they are covered with feathers? Then simply pluck the hair and say it again! Then can you call me a man and a woman? ! "
Whether we can discuss it again, but what I want to say is that the chicken you have been talking about is actually an embarrassing simplification. Its ontology is: chicken, or chicken. If you look closely, you can always see the angel who domesticated them in primitive animal husbandry: people!
Relatively speaking, domesticating domestic animals is a reality very close to human adolescence. Before that, many of the most commonly used and practical words had already appeared piecemeal or systematically. As for this minimalist "human", it depends on different people whether it imitates bipedal walking or labor pains.
But we are familiar with life, life, and life. Human nature is true, born as a human being, children, teenagers, husbands, wives, parents, endless!
The simpler a word is, the more it will be endowed with extremely complex philosophical value, from complex to simple and clumsy!
From a simple herringbone, some people will see the combination of men and women, some people will see the split of personality, some people will see the temptation of life and death, and some people will see the joys and sorrows! Everything you see is scenery. And the scenery is not right or wrong, there is no advantage or disadvantage, because it is independent and protects its true self. As picturesque as a poem and as dreamy as a dream.
Just like boating on a moonlit night, listening to the rain. You delight others and yourself, and it becomes a natural scenery!
Thanks to Wukong for inviting me!
Let me talk nonsense!
In Oracle Bone Inscriptions, "people" are portraits standing on the side, or silhouettes, bent and stretched.
You can say it's a coincidence. One sign of people is to stand and walk, the other is to roast cooked food with fire, and the third is to plant and breed.
Obviously, standing and walking are symbolic gestures that distinguish people from animals.
Oracle Bone Inscriptions, with the word "human", is an animal that stands first and then bends, and this animal can be understood as planting or breeding, because other actions such as running, squatting and jumping cannot be distinguished from animals.
Man is an animal that can stand and work independently.
Is this a coincidence?
Oracle Bone Inscriptions is a kind of image writing, mostly Oracle Bone Inscriptions carved on tortoise shell and beast bones by priests in Xia and Shang Dynasties. So this person should be a general term to distinguish other species. Birds can fly, fish can swim, and the corresponding characters are the same, so only animals are left. Animals walk on all fours, especially the corresponding characters, such as deer and sheep, are pictographic. It's all a kind of painting on the side. However, the word "cow" is not, and the word "cow" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions is a horn. So can we think that fortune tellers create words according to the greatest characteristics of this creature?
Yes, birds, sheep, deer and fish, as long as they describe creatures, are generally described in profile. In this respect, it is not surprising that people are also described in profile. So the head, waist, body, feet and arms are all two strokes.
Shuowen said: "Man, the nature of heaven and earth is the most expensive. This article is like the shape of an arm and a tibia. "
And the structure of this herringbone has also been handed down. This concept was adopted by inscriptions on bronze and seal script. That is to say, the original herringbone is not a slap in the face, but an upright walking and working.
Although Qin Shihuang unified the characters into Xiao Zhuan, in fact, Xiao Zhuan was too complicated. Most people used ancient script, that is, some people just wrote it one by one.
I think the original intention of writing this way should be related to the philosophical thought at that time, that is, the Book of Changes, in which "one yin and one yang are called Tao", emphasizing balance and complementarity. Therefore, people should also conform to God's will, leaving Yin as Yang.
"Book of Rites" said: "An old friend is the virtue of heaven and earth, and the turn of Yin and Yang." It can be seen that the herringbone must embody this world of yin and yang.
In ancient times, people were just creatures who walked upright and could work independently.
In the period of civilization, man is the soul of heaven and earth at the turn of Yin and Yang.
There are left-handed and right-handed people in Chinese characters. It seems simple, but it profoundly interprets the vivid example of the unity of opposites of Yin and Yang in China culture, and also tells us the truth of being a man.
"Man" not only embodies the wisdom of ancient people in China, but also is a model to express the unity of opposites of Yin and Yang. People in China often use "Yin and Yang" to express the positive and negative aspects of a thing. The relationship between yin and yang includes both "complementary opposites" and "harmony between yin and yang", which is what we call "unity of opposites" today. However, our relationship of the unity of opposites between Yin and Yang is very abstract, and it is difficult to express it with a concrete model, while "human" itself is a vivid model to express the unity of opposites between Yin and Yang. "Man" is the symbol of the opposition between Yin and Yang, and the "man" formed by "man" is the symbol of unity, and man himself is the unity of opposites.
From the perspective of balance, "people" must be dynamically balanced and always maintain the unity of opposites. People are beautiful and walk steadily. If "people" are unbalanced, whether it is just "left" or "right", it is not good and will surely degenerate. This tells us that being a man must balance yin and yang. And man himself is a combination of yin and yang, and only when yin and yang are balanced can he be healthy.
In a word, "man" seems simple, but it embodies the profoundness of China's Yin and Yang culture and tells us how to be a man.
"Man" in Chinese Characters and Its Overall Meaning
"People": one's dominant opinion (skimming), seeking common ground while reserving differences with the other party's different opinions (pressing), and finding out that the candidate opinion of * * * is "people" (herringbone meaning).
Otherwise, people of the same kind who use their dominant opinions to suppress the different opinions of the other side are "animals."
I can't give a dominant opinion, and I'm not afraid to put forward different opinions. I will accept it, and I will be suppressed and slaughtered by others.
(For detailed arguments and Chinese character-making rules, please see the "Description" of "Deciphering the Dragon Point Password at the Back". )
Seeing this word, many people think it's easy to write and simple, but how difficult it is to really know how to be a man and live a good life.
Although it is only a slap in the face, there are many mysteries hidden in it. A glimpse is like the uphill road of our lives. When we encounter difficulties and bumps, we should grit our teeth and stick to it and never give up. Maybe this is the turning point of your life, and we will meet the noble people or people who accompany you to help you tide over the difficulties, complement each other and reach the peak of your life.
Therefore, in our future life, we should be kind to the person who walked with you. He gave you enough courage to make your future.
A slap in the face is life!
Because people's feet are separated, they are separated whether they walk or stand. People who put their legs together are straight and uncomfortable to stand. Only hands close to the body, only down-to-earth, can be stable. Chinese characters are mostly pictographs, as people write. The so-called herringbone is easy to write, but it also means that people are difficult to do.
The origin of herringbone is hieroglyphics, which still has scientific reason today. From the structural point of view, the herringbone is more stable as it goes down, so it is said that being a man should be practical, which is also called the level of life. Judging from the strokes, calligraphy and painting are also called life. People should not live all their lives, but also live a face. The herringbone stops at three o'clock, and three o'clock can determine a face, so it is also called a little life facing life. The herringbone is simple and accurate! There are simply not enough people, and it is difficult to be a man from ancient times to the present.
Man is composed of three parts: one represents inheritance, one represents opening and the next, and the middle represents himself. According to the three principles, one faction represents heaven, one faction represents land, and the middle representative. In life, heaven and earth should stand upright, inherit God's will, communicate with people and give information. A curl of your hand indicates where you come from, and a pinch of your hand indicates where you want to go. A character means to inherit the excellent qualities of ancestors, carry them forward on himself and pass them on to future generations. Only in this way can we be worthy of our ancestors and our descendants.