As one of the oldest
writing systems, the history of Chinese characters has spanned more than 4,000
years. As Chinese characters history and evolution grew over time, the
characters changed from simple pictographs to the complicated characters we
know today.
Technically, Chinese
characters are a part of a logographic system. This label means that the
writing is a series of symbols that each represents a phrase or word. Chinese
character history is a unique focus for studies because it has formed a method
of unification for the country. As one of the world’s largest countries, China
represents many diverse dialects such as Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese
Chinese. Out of all of these dialects, the only unifying feature is the writing
system. By creating this system of writing, China has been able to unify an
ethnically and linguistically diverse country.
The History of Chinese
Characters
Most historians divide
Chinese character history into four separate periods of time. These four time
periods include Jia-gu wen, Da zhuan, Xiao zhuan and Lis shu.
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| An Example of Oracle Bones |
Jia-gu wen, also known as
the Oracle Bones, is the earliest recorded usage of Chinese characters in
history. A long time ago, the scribes in China would etch records of
transactions and government policies onto the backs of turtle shells. Jia-gu
wen gets its name from the use of turtle shells in divining prophesies. These
shells were burned and the way they cracked showed the future. Overall, the
Oracle Bones period for Chinese characters lasted from 1500 to 1000 BCE.
After the Oracle Bones,
Chinese characters history entered into the Da zhuan, or Greater Seal, phase.
In addition to gradually evolving aesthetically, the characters were no longer
written on turtle shells. During this time period, they were normally written
on bronze vessels. This time period lasted from roughly 1100 to 700 BCE.
Fittingly, the third time
period is known as the Lesser Seal (Xiao zhuan). After the end of the Greater
Seal period, the Lesser Seal time period marked the beginning of elegant
calligraphic Chinese script. From this beautiful, elaborate writing style,
modern Chinese characters gradually arose. Many of the Xiao zhuan characters
are found on silk writings, landscape paintings and bamboo scrolls.
The last time period is
known as Lis shu. Called Clerkly Script in English, this character style is the
most similar to today’s writing system. The flowing scrip of the Lesser Seal
was modified to make if faster to write. This new writing style was easy to use
with pens and papers which made it appealing to the general population.
