Research on the Naxi Dongba script's graphemes

Author: Zheng Feizhou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-12
Features: This book systematically applies the theory of graphemes to the analysis and research of Dongba script, proposing new concepts such as grapheme variants and homophoric phenomena, transformed graphemes and affixed graphemes, and further summarizes the functional characteristics of stable graphemes and active graphemes. Through the observation of grapheme combinations in word formation, it is found that Dongba script has a complex affixing method of grapheme combination; the phenomenon of multiple graphemes in compound graphemes is widespread, using color, direction, and size to assist in meaning, with unclear division of phonetic and semantic functions in grapheme elements; the number of phoneme-added and meaning-element-added graphemes is roughly equal, and so on. Compared with Chinese characters, it clarifies that Dongba script's representative characters convey more specific meanings, ideographic characters combine phonetic and semantic elements simply, phonetic-semantic characters use semantic elements to assist in phonetic representation and phonetic elements do not fully represent phonetics, and semantic borrowing is more widely used, while phonetic borrowing for recording sounds is unstable. Additionally, the diachronic analysis of grapheme addition, omission, and modification, the description of the developmental paths of pictographic and representative characters, and the discussion on the trends of script development triggered by this, provide relevant evidence for a deeper understanding of the laws of script evolution.