About kanji origin

VLADIMIR · (#1 (**permalink**))

I'v found some kanji and try to analyse them. Is it some relation between each of them and subjects that are connected with them? When I look at canji I think: Why ansient people decided that the Moon (Tsuki), for example, must be represented by rectangle with two "legs"?

Or why the one part of kanji "Cat (Neko)" rather seems to be a "window"?

The left parts of kanji "Cat (Neko)" and "Wolf (Ookami)" are the same, so I could suppose that it means "Animal" (because cat and wolf are animals - what other common thing could be between them in spite of four legs?). But in that case why in the kanji "Independence (Dokuritsu)" we can see that symbol? Maybe because sometimes we joke about cat that she walks where she wants?

I'm interesting what was the history of different kanji origin. How did people think when they writed them at first time? Can someone tell something about it?

anrakushi · (#2 (**permalink**))

double posted.. see below

anrakushi · (#3 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by anrakushi

you need to remember that initially kanji where pictures and over time their shape changed.
this wikipedia page shows some examples of the characters forming from their early scripts to the modern script you may be used to seeing on a computer.
Chinese character classification - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

it is also important to note that as wiki says:
"At present, more than 90% of all Chinese characters are phono-semantic compounds, constructed out of elements intended both to hint at meaning and pronunciation." so the characters are not just built up of elements to show their meaning but their sound as well. you will find many characters with similar elements have the same pronunciation.

MMM · (#4 (**permalink**))

Quote:

Originally Posted by anrakushi

it is also important to note that as wiki says:
"At present, more than 90% of all Chinese characters are phono-semantic compounds, constructed out of elements intended both to hint at meaning and pronunciation." so the characters are not just built up of elements to show their meaning but their sound as well. you will find many characters with similar elements have the same pronunciation.

This is right. If I remember correctly, kanji were chosen to represent certain words from one of 4 characteristics: pronunciation, how it looks, or two others...so some kanji mean something VERY different in Chinese .

VLADIMIR · (#5 (**permalink**))

Thank You very much for Your advices! Now I begin to understand more the real situation. After visiting some useful web-resources I feel myself more familiar with previously unknown things.

anrakushi · (#6 (**permalink**))

glad to see your understanding is increasing, the great thing about learning languages is when you start to understand new things, it is always rewarding ^^

VLADIMIR · (#7 (**permalink**))

I couldn't agree with You.

Thanks a lot!

VLADIMIR · (#8 (**permalink**))

I like to study all things uknown for me not only language. Everything is intresting for me: culture, traditions, way of thinking etc. Every moment i try to understand why peoples do someting in such a way but not in other way. So now I'm here (in JF) not only because i want to learn lenuage but also because i can find many thigs that are useful and interesting for me.

I know (maybe rather fill than know) that sometimes my writing English is not perfect and that's why some reader can understand me in a very right way

. I hope that the persons which know English better than me will try to understand me right.