In:
Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Cambridge University Press (CUP), Vol. 1 ( 1827-01), p. 304-312
Abstract:
The graphic beauty of a written language, which approaches so near to the hieroglyphic as the Chinese, where many of the characters are intended as pictures of the idea to be conveyed, where the variety of the lines, or strokes, is so great, and their combinations are so numerous, must be allowed at once to exceed, and to be more difficult of attainment than, that of the alphabetic writing of Europe. The number of the simple characters, or elements, of which all the compounds of the language are formed, greatly exceeds that of any one alphabet; but, when compounded, their relative juxta-position and arrangement, the shortening of some strokes and the lengthening of others, is of course subject to some general rules; which, from the very nature of the subject, must be more numerous and complicated, than the mere joining together of our European letters. The advantage of simplicity (and a very great advantage it is) constitutes the chief merit of alphabetic writing; that of variety and graphic beauty may fairly be claimed by the Chinese.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0950-4737
,
2051-2058
DOI:
10.1017/S0950473700000240
Language:
English
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Publication Date:
1827
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2534019-0
SSG:
25
