Chinese character studies 中文字學

[2ouvenir]

Interlude: linguistics: gloss

 

In linguistics, a gloss is a notation or annotation that provides a word-for-word translation or explanation of a term or phrase in a different language or a specific context. Glossing is commonly used in language documentation, translation, and linguistic analysis to clarify the meaning or structure of words, phrases, or sentences.

 

For example, if you were analyzing a sentence in a foreign language, you might provide a gloss that breaks down each word into its corresponding translation or meaning in English or another familiar language. This helps linguists and language learners understand the structure and meaning of the original language more clearly.

 

Let's say we have the Chinese phrase 我喜歡吃水果, which means "I like to eat fruit" in English. Here's how you might gloss it:

 

我 - I
喜歡 - like
吃 - eat
水果 - fruit

 

我喜歡吃水果

[I like eat fruit]

 

This breakdown helps English speakers understand the individual components of the Chinese sentence and how they correspond to English words.

 

Another example:

 

The phrase 一針見血 is an idiom in Chinese that literally translates to "a needle sees blood." It is often used figuratively to mean "hit the nail on the head" or "get straight to the point" in English. Here's the gloss:

 

一 - one
針 - needle
見 - see
血 - blood

 

一針見血

[one needle see blood]

 

This gloss provides a word-for-word translation of the individual characters in the idiom, helping English speakers understand its literal meaning in Chinese.

 

In the future (posts), glosses in English will be enclosed in square brackets unless otherwise stated. E.g., 一針見血 [one needle see blood]. Also because I am not trying to teach Chinese or Linguistics (here or otherwise unless explicitly stated), one will have to do their own work if things aren't immediately clear. I am not responsible for any "misteachings."

[2ouvenir]

 

岳陽樓記 analysis (Part 3/5)

 

若夫霪雨霏霏連月不開陰風怒號濁浪排空日星隱耀山岳潛形商旅不行檣傾楫摧薄暮冥冥虎嘯猿啼登斯樓也則有去國懷鄉憂讒畏譏滿目蕭然感極而悲者矣

 

The third paragraph imagines the feelings of wandering guests who ascend Yueyang Tower on a cloudy day. From 若夫霪雨霏霏 ③ "If it is rainy and misty" to 虎嘯猿啼 "tigers roaring and apes crying," it describes the gloomy and terrifying atmosphere through visual and auditory descriptions, such as 霪雨霏霏 ③ "continuous rain and mist," 濁浪排空 "turbid waves filling the sky," 日星隱耀 "the sun and stars hidden," 山岳潛形 "mountains and hills lurking," and 薄暮冥冥 ③ "twilight darkness," presenting a vast dark landscape; and in this dark weather, there are occasionally strong winds howling, and at night, there are even tigers roaring and monkeys wailing, making the atmosphere even more bleak. Among them, 商旅不行檣傾楫摧 "merchant travelers unable to proceed, masts leaning and oars breaking" vividly depicts the threat of adverse weather to people, with ships capsizing and merchant travelers being obstructed. From 登斯樓也 "ascending this tower" to 感極而悲者矣 "those who feel extremely sad," it describes the gloomy and terrifying scenery seen by the wandering guests ascending the tower, inevitably feeling sad and mournful, not only having the feeling of 去國懷鄉 ② "homesickness for one's roots and familiar surroundings" but also inevitably having the thought of 憂讒畏譏 "fearing slander and ridicule."

 

●

 

① I noticed I missed a character 去 from 有 and 國 in my calligraphy. Mistakes are inevitable, especially when I am not writing the text all in one go. Sometimes I just write one character and get exhausted (if I'm not already), e.g. characters like 嘯 [roar] or 讒 [slander].

 

② 去國懷鄉 : widely used idiom in Chinese lit., [to leave | country | to yearn for | hometown], conveys the idea of leaving one's homeland or country and longing for one's hometown or village

 

③ Phrases such as 霪雨霏霏 and 薄暮冥冥 possess a poetic quality when spoken aloud, particularly due to the repetition of the final characters. This repetition adds audiovisual depth to the sense of gloom and mystery within the scenery they describe. (This structure XYZZ is quite common in 四字短句 four-character phrases in Chinese poems to give various effects depending on the poem. I don't know if there is an official term for this structure but let's call it 重复末尾 [repeat tail] for now.)

 

It's important to note that the auditory experience of speaking these texts, including elements like pitch, rhyme, and rhythm, is inevitably lost when merely reading them on a page. This distinction is significant because skilled poets, whether in Chinese or any other language, often prioritize crafting the rhythm—considering factors like pace and consistency—before determining the content itself. This meticulous attention to rhythm is fundamental to the creation of evocative and resonant language, whether in poetry, songwriting, or speechwriting.

 

The pitch and rhythm of a given text can be represented through annotations like this:

 

●●○○○○●●●○○▲○○●● ●●●⊙○○▲●○○○⊙●⊙⊙○⊙●○○▲●⊙○⊙●○○⊙●●○○▲

 

In this notation, each symbol indicates how to speak a particular character, such as ○ suggesting a flat tone in the regular tempo. (Please note, this differs from pinyin [and other dialect] tones in how Chinese characters are read [in Mandarin etc..] E.g., a character that is "supposed to be" read in a rising tone, in normal day-to-day speech say, may be read flat in a poem for the poetic effect. Apologies for any confusion this may cause.) While it's impractical to map out the pitch•tones•rhythm for this lengthy text, such annotations can provide valuable insight into the musical nuances of language (especially in contexts like ancient Chinese texts).

[2ouvenir]

Interlude: vocabulary: cooking pasta

 

After you've boiled pasta to al dente, or just before al dente to allow for further cooking, you should rinse (the pasta) under cold water.

 

We can say this in Chinese in several ways, and I will introduce two common ways.

 

 

Either literally 沖凍水 (in Mandarin probably 沖冷水) [rinse cold water] or figuratively 過冷河 [pass•through cold river].

 

According to this, the phrase 過冷河 is more commonly used in the 廣東 Guangdong area.

 

Interlude: aesthetics: the hook

 

I've since seen a lot of (80% to 90%) modern calligraphers use a hook in the middle vertical in 東 [east] and all the associated characters with 東 in it, as in 凍. So probably should have a hook. Eh. Beware when writing directly from printed hanzi as they may simplify the character for clarity. 

 

Having said that, I think the character 東 looks better without the hook (I don't see why symmetry has to be broken when it doesn't have to be). And the hook was only introduced in maybe 唐 Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) with the introduction of the cursive/semi-cursive scripts. See for example, scripts like small seal or clerical do not have a hook in the character.

 

historial scripts

 

modern script 

 

Chinese calligraphy (imo) has reached its peaks aesthetically in small seal (as in 東_8.png) and clerical scripts (as in 東_13.png) so I will refer to those when I need to.

 

But how about a character like 水 [water]? Let's have a look at its evolution:

 

historial scripts

 

modern script

 

Again, no hooks (in the historical scripts until 唐.) I might be forgiven for not having a hook in 東, but if I write 水 without a hook, people might start laughing at me. I mean even the printed character has a hook. A careful balance between what I believe is more aesthetically pleasing and being ostracized. I suppose the hook in 水 is okay because it gives the central vertical a bit more stability, whereas in 東, the central vertical is already being balanced by its many limbs, especially the diagonals. I have no idea what I am talking about anymore.

 

Finally, the character 中 [centre] doesn't have a hook in any script.

 

historical scripts

 

modern script

 

It's a flagpole.

 

You are probably better off reading about the scripts from some wiki [1] [2] and decide for yourself than hearing me babble nonsense.

[RedPie]

I love how you explain this. If I ever would like to learn Chinese, I hope to have a teacher that know as much as you do! @2ouvenir  

[RedPie]

My first steps with some numbers. Not that easy. But it is a start. ☺️

[2ouvenir]

@RedPie Thanks for posting your calligraphy. I like it, it's cute ☺️ It is nice to share your journey with others who may want to start.

 

You are already learning the Chinese language by doing Chinese calligraphy. Not sure if it is the most efficient way, but at least it's a somewhat carefree one (and for what it's worth, it's my way now.)

[RedPie]

 

 

 

Thank you @2ouvenir. I will post and hope I will get better. 👍

[2ouvenir]

@RedPie You may want to have a look at the character 永 [forever, long (time)] as it contains the eight strokes found in most (possibly all?) Chinese characters.

 

That of the

 

點 dot ㇔

橫 horizontal ㇐

豎 vertical ㇑

鉤 hook ㇚

提 raise ㇀

彎 curve ㇁

撇 "throw away" slant left ㇒

捺 "press firmly" slant right ㇏

 

See 永字八法 Eight Principles of Yong [wikipedia] [baidu].

 

You can "shadow" someone on YouTube to figure out the proper way to do each stroke. For example,

 

 

Notice the time and care he takes for each stroke, paying close attention how to start, advance, and end a stroke. ① 開筆/开笔 kāi bǐ or 起筆/起笔 qǐ bǐ [start stroke], ② 行筆/行笔  háng bǐ [advance stroke, executing the stroke] and ③ 收筆/收笔 shōu bǐ [end stroke, retrieve pen/brush] are useful terms to keep in mind. There is a reason behind every movement, the brush is not the tidiest of writing instruments and some seemingly unnecessary movements help gather all the hairs before producing a line.

 

I don't know if it is a good idea to concentrate mastering all the strokes in one character in the beginning of one's journey (one could argue it is, because you don't want to practice and reinforce any bad strokes or habits so it's best to get it right the first time), but at least it is a good reference.

 

Optional: You can download free pdf worksheets for any character you want here, e.g. for 永. I've never actually traced characters like in these worksheets before, but it may work for some people, I don't know.

 

I also want to redact what I said about the hook being introduced in the Tang dynasty in an earlier post. That's not true at all lol. Hooks were already used in the clerical script, you can see it in the clerical 永. Let's say they weren't as common "back then." Possibly. As it's more of an aesthetic flourish rather than a content/meaning differentiator?

[2ouvenir]

Interlude: vocabulary: 史 and its associated characters

 

又 [hand (original meaning), again]

史 [history]

吏 [government official]

使 [cause, use, instruct]

事 [matter, work, affair] 

 

 

邏輯 [logic] a loanword (19th Century, late 清 Qing) from Greek λογική (the specific philosophical study of reasoning) or λόγος (which encompasses a broader semantic range). The English word "logic" also derives from Greek.

 

Of course, this doesn't mean Chinese (or English) did not have a word for similar concepts to logic before「邏輯」or "logic". English, for example, used words like "reason", "sophistry" to mean similar things. Chinese would use words like 道理 [reason] or 理性 [rationality].

 

A note (correction) on 史: the pictogram might be a hand holding a brush instead of a box of writing utensils in the small seal script. Actually I am pretty sure that looks like a brush, because in the character 聿, a component of the 筆 pen character, it's also a hand holding a brush in the small seal script but in a different orientation. Maybe the brush evolved into a box in the 史 of 史. In any case, originally, it definitely is a hand holding a brush not a box of brushes. 

 

 

If any of you know any more characters that depict a hand holding a brush (without any other components), please do tell, but AFAIK these are the only two.

[2ouvenir]

  On 5/14/2024 at 10:57 AM, RedPie said:

My first steps with some numbers. Not that easy. But it is a start. ☺️

Expand  

 

@RedPie I just noticed your paper on the top says 硬笔书法纸 (硬筆書法紙) [hard pen calligraphy paper], meaning calligraphy paper for writing instruments such as pencil, ballpoint pen, fountain pens. "Hard" instruments rather than the "soft" brush.

 

I think the grid size might be a bit cramped for a brush, especially for beginner practice. I guess it also depends on the size of the brush, but even for my somewhat small Kuretake no. 50 brush, I'd need a 5 cm by 5 cm grid size for each character to be comfortable (especially for more involved characters like 癮), that is, if I were to use a grid.

 

They sell these that uses 10cm by 10cm grids for "intermediate calligraphy practice." With such a "big" grid size, one might be using a proper (i.e. non-fountain) "regular-sized" calligraphy brush. You might have to shop around, I've never bought calligraphy paper before. If you are using a smaller brush, like I think you are, you might want to choose a smaller grid size like 5 by 5 cm. Of course, you can always create your own.

[RedPie]

  On 5/15/2024 at 6:57 PM, 2ouvenir said:

You may want to have a look at the character 永 [forever, long (time)] as it contains the eight strokes found in most (possibly all?) Chinese characters.

Expand  

Thank you very much for all your information. I love it! 

[RedPie]

  On 5/16/2024 at 1:04 AM, 2ouvenir said:

I think the grid size might be a bit cramped for a brush, especially for beginner practice.

Expand  

Yes, I am using a small brush. I will get different paper soon or might make my own. Thanks for the tip!

[RedPie]

😊 The video is excellent and also thank you for the link to The Eight Principles Of Yong! @2ouvenir

[2ouvenir]

@RedPie 不用客氣 You're welcome! 

[2ouvenir]

Interlude: TV dialogue

 

I am currently watching the Chinese show called Angels Fall Sometimes or in the native title 谢谢你温暖我 (謝謝你溫暖我). 

 

In episode 11, when the doctor is first discussing with the male lead about his ALS diagnosis, the doctor said:

 

每個人的生命是有限的
但對生命的態度更重要

 

Everyone's life is finite

But the attitude towards life is even more important

 

每個人的生命是有限的
但對生命的態度更重要
 

Everyone's life is finite

But the attitude towards life is even more important

 

I am running out of colors. 是 [is], 的 [possessive particle], 但 [but], 對 [towards], 更 [even].

 

 

I hope I transcribed it accurately (there are currently no Chinese subtitles unfortunately - that would be amazing for my learning), might have missed some particles here and there but the meaning should be intact. There might be a 是 between 態度 and 更重要, and a 的 after 更重要 but I took them out to make it look tidy. It might be 更加 instead of just 更. Also, I think he might have said 每一個人 instead of 每個人 but I don't think it makes any difference in meaning.

 

(Written using Uni Jetstream ballpoint 0.7 black, Stalogy paper.)

[2ouvenir]

Interlude: vocabulary: names

 

 

林拓

林[forest]拓[expand]

 

安知雀

安[peace]知[know]雀[sparrow]

安：那個要不加個①微信吧
林：行啊來我②掃你
安：我叫安知雀
安：知是知了的知
安：雀是麻雀的雀
林：我叫林拓
林：拓展的拓
安：那我先走了啊拜拜
林：拜拜

 

Dialogue from ep 1 of Angels Fall Sometimes (2024).

 

①微信：WeChat

②掃：scan

 

It's interesting his name is 林拓 given his impending condition.

[2ouvenir]

Interlude: vocabulary: shopping mission! (part 1/3)

 

 

採購單

• 四斤燒餅
• 十串炸羊肉串
• 四盒稻香村點心

I love how the character 串 looks like an actual skewer.

[RedPie]

  On 5/17/2024 at 9:57 PM, 2ouvenir said:

每個人的生命是有限的
但對生命的態度更重要
 

Everyone's life is finite

But the attitude towards life is even more important

Expand  

So very true! 

[2ouvenir]

 

《禮記·曲禮》

 

鸚鵡能言不離於禽

猩猩能言不離於獸

 

A parrot can speak, but it is still a bird.

An orangutan can speak, but it is still a beast.

[RedPie]

  On 5/26/2024 at 12:22 AM, 2ouvenir said:

 

《禮記·曲禮》

 

鸚鵡能言不離於禽

猩猩能言不離於獸

 

A parrot can speak, but it is still a bird.

An orangutan can speak, but it is still a beast.

Expand  

Nice writing. Looks almost like it is printed....☺️👍