A Comparative Analysis of Simplified Characters in Japanese and Mandarin-Based on Simplified Cursive Chinese

Autor: Shu-Ju Liu, 劉淑如
Rok vydání: 2010
Druh dokumentu: 學位論文 ; thesis
Popis: 98
Words and the language they comprise are the necessary medium for communication and networking. In an era of ever-progressing information technology, Taiwan, China and Japan increasingly interact, and learning the characters of the Chinese and Japanese languages has become a practical requirement. In the cultural circle regarding Chinese characters, Chinese and Japanese people have greater difficulty in recognizing and writing the characters than might be apparent. The main reason is that China and Japan reformed their character systems in the 20th century, which led to the characters developing into different forms. Shirakawa Shizuka pointed out in 1984 that some of the simplified characters had no roots and were not systematically organized, although these actually constitute the theoretical basis for learning by adults. The relevant studies over the past one or two decades are not based on learning and do not categorize the simplified characters in a reasonable way. This study aims to analyze, categorize and compare the simplified characters of the Chinese and Japanese languages based on the features of semi-cursive and cursive calligraphy, coupled with the theory: “Science of Chinese Characters Formation”, in the hope that learners can better understand the differences between, and have a better command of, the simplified characters of the Chinese and Japanese languages from the perspective of simplified characters evolving from cursive calligraphy. This study is composed of seven chapters. The first chapter presents the preface introducing research motivation, purpose, scope, and methods. Chapter Two reviews the previous literatures on the simplified characters of Chinese and Japanese languages and clarifies the theory: “Science of Chinese Characters Formation.” Chapter Three analyzes the features of semi-cursive and cursive calligraphy and categorizes them into three groups according to the simplified principles of linking, omission, and replacement of strokes. Chapter Four organizes the results elicited in Chapter Three into the “Table of Semi-cursive and Cursive Calligraphy Writing Principles” and thereby selects and categorizes the simplified characters of Chinese and Japanese languages conforming to the writing principles; they are then organized into the “Table of Writing Principles of the Simplified Characters in Japanese Language Evolving from Cursive Calligraphy” and “Table of Writing Principles of the Simplified Characters in Chinese Language Evolving from Cursive Calligraphy.” Chapter Five combines these two tables into a “Table of Writing Principles of the Simplified Characters in Chinese and Japanese Languages Evolving from Cursive Calligraphy”, and based on this table a comparative analysis is conducted to differentiate the simplified characters in Chinese and Japanese languages evolving from cursive calligraphy. Chapter Six proposes some suggestions for the Japanese people who are learning traditional and simplified Chinese characters and for the Taiwanese people who are learning the simplified characters of the Chinese and Japanese languages. Chapter Seven is the conclusion regarding the content of the previous six chapters and advances possible future research directions. It is hoped that this study can present a new perspective for the research on the simplified characters in China and Japan and that the writing principles can enable the learners to acquire the languages more efficiently.
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