GRAPHIC MODULATION IN THE ANCIENT CHINESE WRITING SYSTEM
漢文字體系的形態變換機制
Chrystelle Marechal 麥里筱

Abstract 摘要
This paper studies a particular formational process in the ancient Chinese writing system known as bianti 變體 'graphic modulation', by means of which cognate characters (not cognate words) are created. Graphic pairs such as zuo 左 'left' - you 右 'right', and shang 上 'above' - xia 下 'below' in their ancient forms are classical examples of this kind of graphical branching (through a reversing process). In the case of ji 即 'immediate' (tone 2) and ji 既 'already' (tone 4), a similar mechanism is found in their graphic formation. However, in most cases, these graphic pairs are not phonologically cognate terms. The approach in this paper is mainly inspired by Klima - Bellugi (l979) and Yau (1987, 1990), who have both observed modulation processes in the lexical branching of deaf people's sign languages which have essential features in common with Chinese characters in their ancient forms. The two media are visual, gestural and often iconic. By drawing a parallel between this graphic phenomenon in Chinese and observations made by specialists in other linguistic areas, a case has been made for the modulation mechanism as a universal device for lexical creation on the representation level.

漢語書寫系統裡有所謂＂變體字＂。像＂左＂－＂右＂、＂上＂－＂下＂等變體字彙，從字形角度看，其實是一種并列的同源字體，把其一的字形顛倒過來而構成的。此中像＂即＂－＂既＂，也是通過類同的字形的變而形成的。然而，這類＂變體字＂在大多數的情況下，在音韻上並沒有親屬關係。 Klima - Bellugi (l979)和游順釗 (1987, 1990) 的聾人手語變體的觀察，對古漢字變體的研究很有啟發性。這是因為手語和古漢字都同屬於視覺和手勢動作的範疇，並常帶有象形性質的傾向。故本文的分析是以這幾位學者的著述作為理論基礎，通過對漢字裡這個特殊的形體現像和在別的語言領域裡的平衡觀察，論證＂變體＂在表達層次上為詞彙創造的一個遍性手段。

Subject Keywords 關鍵詞

Ancient Chinese characters　古漢字 graphic modulation　變體 lexical branching　詞彙衍生 cognate characters　同源字體 gestural signs　聾人手語

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