Guwen
Encyclopedia
Gǔwén literally means ancient Chinese
script
. Historically the term has been used in several different ways.
The first usage, which is common, is as a reference to the most ancient forms of Chinese writing, namely the writing of the Shāng
and early Zhōu
dynasties, such as found on oracle bones, bronzes, or pottery. This usage can be found at least as early as Xu Shen
's Han dynasty
etymological dictionary Shuowen Jiezi
(Shuowen for short).
The second usage, also well known, refers to variant forms in Shuowen, which Xu Shen mistook as being ancient, but that were actually used in the eastern areas during the Warring States period, as exemplified by copies of the Zuo Zhuan
and 'books from within the walls' (those hidden during Qin Shihuang's book burning), which were available to Xu Shen at the time of Shuowen's compilation. Xu mistook these as being significantly earlier than seal script, and thus also called them guwen. That is, Xu used the term guwen to refer to two different groups of scripts, both those that were truly ancient (usage one above), and those he mistook as being ancient (eastern Warring States variant forms). It took the work of later scholars like Wang Guowei
to separate and clarify Xu's ambiguous usage of the term.
The third usage is for scripts that are no longer legible to the average modern reader, including the those referred to in meaning one above (oracle bones, Shang and early Zhou bronze and pottery inscriptions, and the Zhòuwén (籀文) from the Shi Zhou Pian (史籀篇) compendium of ca. 800 BCE as partially preserved through exemplars in Shuowen) as well as the Stone Drums of Qin
of the late Spring and Autumn period, other writing of the later Zhōu period preserved on stone, mid to late Zhou bronzes, the Eastern Warring States writing in meaning two above, and the late Zhōu to Qín dynasty
seal script
. Qiú Xīguī uses the term "ancient stage" of Chinese script in this manner, such that the Qín seal script and all its aforementioned predecessors are 'ancient', in contrast to the clerical script
of the late Warring States through Qín and Hàn dynasty
, and the standard (aka regular, or kaishu) script
, as both of these are legible to the modern reader of Chinese.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
script
Chinese written language
Written Chinese comprises Chinese characters used to represent the Chinese language, and the rules about how they are arranged and punctuated. Chinese characters do not constitute an alphabet or a compact syllabary...
. Historically the term has been used in several different ways.
The first usage, which is common, is as a reference to the most ancient forms of Chinese writing, namely the writing of the Shāng
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty was, according to traditional sources, the second Chinese dynasty, after the Xia. They ruled in the northeastern regions of the area known as "China proper" in the Yellow River valley...
and early Zhōu
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
dynasties, such as found on oracle bones, bronzes, or pottery. This usage can be found at least as early as Xu Shen
Xu Shen
Xǔ Shèn was a Chinese philologist of the Han Dynasty. He was the author of Shuowen Jiezi, the first Chinese dictionary with character analysis, as well as the first to organize the characters by shared components. It contains over 9,000 character entries under 540 radicals, explaining the origins...
's Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
etymological dictionary Shuowen Jiezi
Shuowen Jiezi
The Shuōwén Jiězì was an early 2nd century CE Chinese dictionary from the Han Dynasty. Although not the first comprehensive Chinese character dictionary , it was still the first to analyze the structure of the characters and to give the rationale behind them , as well as the first to use the...
(Shuowen for short).
The second usage, also well known, refers to variant forms in Shuowen, which Xu Shen mistook as being ancient, but that were actually used in the eastern areas during the Warring States period, as exemplified by copies of the Zuo Zhuan
Zuo Zhuan
The Zuo Zhuan , sometimes translated as the Chronicle of Zuo or the Commentary of Zuo, is among the earliest Chinese works of narrative history and covers the period from 722 BCE to 468 BCE. It is one of the most important sources for understanding the history of the Spring and Autumn Period...
and 'books from within the walls' (those hidden during Qin Shihuang's book burning), which were available to Xu Shen at the time of Shuowen's compilation. Xu mistook these as being significantly earlier than seal script, and thus also called them guwen. That is, Xu used the term guwen to refer to two different groups of scripts, both those that were truly ancient (usage one above), and those he mistook as being ancient (eastern Warring States variant forms). It took the work of later scholars like Wang Guowei
Wang Guowei
Wang Guowei , courtesy name Jing'an or Baiyu , was a Chinese scholar, writer and poet...
to separate and clarify Xu's ambiguous usage of the term.
The third usage is for scripts that are no longer legible to the average modern reader, including the those referred to in meaning one above (oracle bones, Shang and early Zhou bronze and pottery inscriptions, and the Zhòuwén (籀文) from the Shi Zhou Pian (史籀篇) compendium of ca. 800 BCE as partially preserved through exemplars in Shuowen) as well as the Stone Drums of Qin
Stone Drums of Qin
The Stone Drums of Qín are ten granite boulders bearing the oldest known "stone" inscriptions in ancient Chinese...
of the late Spring and Autumn period, other writing of the later Zhōu period preserved on stone, mid to late Zhou bronzes, the Eastern Warring States writing in meaning two above, and the late Zhōu to Qín dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
seal script
Seal script
Seal script is an ancient style of Chinese calligraphy. It evolved organically out of the Zhōu dynasty script , arising in the Warring State of Qin...
. Qiú Xīguī uses the term "ancient stage" of Chinese script in this manner, such that the Qín seal script and all its aforementioned predecessors are 'ancient', in contrast to the clerical script
Clerical script
The clerical script , also formerly chancery script, is an archaic style of Chinese calligraphy which evolved in the Warring States period to the Qin dynasty, was dominant in the Han dynasty, and remained in use through the Wèi-Jìn periods...
of the late Warring States through Qín and Hàn dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, and the standard (aka regular, or kaishu) script
Regular script
Regular script , also called 正楷 , 真書 , 楷体 and 正書 , is the newest of the Chinese script styles Regular script , also called 正楷 , 真書 (zhēnshū), 楷体 (kǎitǐ) and 正書 (zhèngshū), is the newest of the Chinese script styles Regular script , also called 正楷 , 真書 (zhēnshū), 楷体 (kǎitǐ) and 正書 (zhèngshū), is...
, as both of these are legible to the modern reader of Chinese.
Additional reading
- Chén Zhāoróng (陳昭容) Research on the Qín (Ch'in) Lineage of Writing: An Examination from the Perspective of the History of Chinese Writing (秦系文字研究 ﹕从漢字史的角度考察) (2003). Academia Sinica, Institute of History and Philology Monograph (中央研究院歷史語言研究所專刊). ISBN 957-671-995-X. (in Chinese)
- Qiú Xīguī (裘錫圭) Chinese Writing (2000). Translation of 文字學概要 by Gilbert L. Mattos and Jerry Norman. Early China Special Monograph Series No. 4. Berkeley: The Society for the Study of Early China and the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley. ISBN 1-55729-071-7.