Course info

This course covers the nature, structure and development of Chinese characters. It is an important part of ancient Chinese and is closely related to Chinese history, phonology, lexicology, exegetics, archaeology and collation of ancient classics. This course discusses Chinese characters' formation, origins, development and evolution. Thus, the types of Chinese characters, the division and simplification of character forms, the relationships between the forms and pronunciation, and the cultural connotations of Chinese characters are explored. Therefore, learning the course will help the students grasp the historical developmental process of Chinese characters.

文字学是研究汉字的性质、结构及形体演变的一门传统学问，是古代汉语的重要组成部分，它与汉语史、音韵学、词汇学、训诂学、考古学以及古籍整理等学科都有密切的联系。本课程是一门选修课。本课程先谈文字形成的过程、汉字的起源与发展、形体的演变等等，进而透过汉字的类型的划分、字形在演变历程中的分化与简化、字形与音义的关系等方面切入，来探究中国文字的文化底蕴，期望学生对中国文化有更深一层的掌握。