Origin and evolution of Chinese characters
Origin of Chinese characters
Chinese writing is one of the oldest that lasts today, as it has also been developed, it has also influenced different civilizations.
The oldest remains are approximately six thousand years in the Bronze Age, remains of culture of the bamboo were found in this stage to the Shang dynasty (1600-1046ª.C.), This dynasty was the second that China ruled the first XIA there is no material evidence.
Be turtle shell bones and pieces of cooked mud with inscriptions somewhat similar to the current ones.
The shells and bones are believed to be of divinatory rites that the shamans performed the process consisted of removing the challenges of meat that were left, they are polished, inside a series of holes are made, done all this the shaman registered its name,The date and the question and after all this were heated until a series of cracks appeared and from them the shaman read the supposed "response of the gods" this was kept if they were fulfilled.
Of the inscriptions found there were about four thousand characters of which only three thousand have been studied and only a thousand of this has been found, thanks to these it has been possible to find how you were the policy, culture and economy of the Shang dynasty.
The rulers of this dynasty put the base of China’s writing as Zhuan that stipulated the number of strokes of each character, their successor Li attributed the rectangular shape and Kai defined the vertical horizontal strokes from left to right and its order this went toBase used for more than a thousand years.
Evolution and classification of characters
At the beginning of this culture his writing focused on pictorial characters, which caused it to be slow, limited and was not suitable for the purpose that was created.
These characters are the most archaic form of some of those characters used for years have endured, their use continues and they were already made up of their pictogram, ideogram and phonogram.
The characters have gone through many variations but some of the characteristics of their beginnings are preserved. One of the people who participated was Cangjie revolutionized calligraphy based on the brand left by the traces of the birds.
At this time the characters were written in bamboo or in silk that better absorbed the ink but was very expensive until the invention of the paper by CAI lun 150 a.C. Expanding writing with books and document along with a parallelism of calligraphy. Initially it was from above to the left to right but now it is from left to right horizontally.
The phases of the characters and also types of this are:
- Jiǎgŭwén (甲骨文) or bones-orcult. This practice despite hard popularity.
- Dà Zhuàn (大 篆) or major seal: this type of writing appears in stamps, and 17th -century bronze utensils to VIII to.C. This began with the appearance of bronze the fusion of copper with tin, this characteristic is seen in the rituals attributed to the members of the royal family and aristocratic families in the late Shang dynasty and early Zhou these were very similar to those thatThey were made in the shells.
- Xiǎozhuàn (小 篆) or minor seal: it endures its use in paintings and calligraphy. It has a homogeneous thickness and fine strokes giving a harmonious and legible character. This is why it is used for currency inscriptions, lapids and stabbing stamps. Perfect for China unification, expanded by LI if ending the third century to.C. Despite functionality, it was really complicated to make it so they only use the scribes.
- Lìshū (隶书), literary or administrative writing: corresponds to the current alphabet, it is fluid and adaptable contrary to the previous one.
- Cǎoshū (草书), italic or grass writing: as his name says his stroke was continuous, along with loose strokes. Started in the middle of the dynasty have. This writing is the preferred one, painters and some politicians.
- Kǎishū (楷 楷), regular or printing writing: dissatisfied with italics and literary writing (one too illegible and the other too rigid) created this that is similar to literary but not so rocky, more straight, having a standard of sizes and sizes and sizes andsoft strokes. It is the one that is taught today, which is used to write well and similar to the form.
- Xíngshu (行书) or writing run: also under the dynasty Han, it is called that because it has a quick and habitual calligraphy. The style is simple and direct a way to simplify regular strokes. It is the most used for the manuscripts of everyday life.
- Jiǎntǐzì (简体字) or simplified characters: the writing remained if no change until 1956, an attempt by the government simplifies the language for the literacy of the people withdrawing 1027 repeated characters, it was also reduced to 2235 strokes of graphic signs. The Pīnyīn (拼音) was also implanted that with Latin influence is a writing under the characters to pronounce it internationally.
Chinese calligraphy and Chinese painting
Art and calligraphy go together in this part of the world. One of the example is when a story or most prominent in poetry is written in the form of the traces that are precise and concise. When someone reads a reato apart from the story, he also enjoys the aesthetics of this.
Calligraphy
In China unlike Spain, calligraphy classes have continued because they believe it encourages people involvement.
Chinese calligraphy is an ancient art is characterized by its realization with a specific brush called Chinese brush and that consists of a series of symbols, it applies to many areas such as letters, rituals and many more areas. Calligraphs like Wang Xizhi, Yan Zhenqing are some.
Chinese painting (中国 画, zhōngguóhuà)
It is divided into several branches, these are represented in the specialized schools in each. Some of these are the Xieyi school, which means "painting the feeling" specializes in the exaggeration and liberal use of ink;The Gongbi School, which means "the meticulous brushstroke" characterized a strict and detailed representation is the subject they teach. What we can highlight is the symbolism of painting that is often a puzzle for Westerners.
The leading element of most paintings are human figures, flowers, fish and birds.
The symbolism
There are some elements called are plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, this four represent the stations to begin the plum that marks the beginning when flourishing just when spring begins represents courage, majesty, grace and culture;The orchid that blooms in the desert, is a recatad flower, is the summer that would be the symbol of the charm of isolation;Bamboo would be autumn, which symbolizes intelligence and simplicity;Finally it would be the chrysanthemum that is winter, which represents elegance righteousness and longevity. Apart from these elements there are also pine that is righteousness and immortality;Peonia is wealth and honesty;The lotus that grows in the mud being clean represents goodness, harmony and purity;Lotus flower is prosperity and continuity.
Tools and materials for calligraphy
Writing brushes
Depending on the purpose, this element can vary, the most common are made of animal hair, its flexibility is what characterizes it, the handle can be bamboo, lacquer or porcelain. Normally there are three types of brushes one strong that is composed of pork, hare, weasel and deer;to be more flexible goat or chicken feathers;And mixed a combination of both, normally the strongest in the center, a curiosity some parents make a brush with the hair of their newborn son, and gives it to the age of majority.
Paper
They use the Xuan that comes from Xuancheng from Anhui province. It is soft and delicate white but strong and durable against insects. It consists of rice straw and elm fibers;Another of them would be the Maobian Zhi made with bamboo pulp.
The ink
Normally they are natural or medium natural bar composed of wood, coal and soot oil.
The strokes
- The point: it is one of the most complicated due to its brevity having precision at the beginning and in the end.
- Horizontal stroke: Start from the left exerting gradual pressure.
- Vertical stroke: It starts from above and the end can be round or pointed.
- Descending stroke from the right: the thick part and the tip are used in the end.
- Descending stroke from the left: as well as the previous but to the left.
- Hook line: It has many variations, it is done by exerting pressure at the beginning in the connection is exerted renewed pressure and the last route reducing it,
- Ascending stroke: it is thick, it has a sword shape with an inclination of forty -five degrees with respect to the figure.
- Curved stroke: It is the combination of the horizontal and vertical tazo if to lift the brush.
The characters
- Thirty -seven percent is a block and the rest is a combination of the above
- The form that we see and the pronunciation that sometimes appears for the rest of the world is composed of two parts
- The characters are currently divided into simplified and traditional that are more convoluted.
Bibliography
- http: // Spanish.CRI.CN/Chinaabc/Chapter14/Chapter140507.htm
- https: // confuciomag.com/origin-writing-china
- https: // www.DecHina trip.com/guide-de-china/la-caigraphy-china-y-la-pintura-china.htm
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