Zhou Youguang
Encyclopedia
Zhou Youguang is a Chinese
linguist who is often credited as the "father of Hanyu Pinyin", the official romanization for Mandarin in the People's Republic of China
. He was born in Changzhou
.
, in 1923, where he majored in economics
and took supplementary coursework in linguistics
. He left during the May 30 Movement
of 1925 and transferred to the short-lived Guanghua University, from which he graduated in 1927. Zhou spent time as an exchange student in Japan
, and spent his early career working as a banker and economist overseas (mainly in New York City
), but returned to Shanghai
in 1949 when the People's Republic was established
.
in order to increase literacy
. While other committees oversaw the tasks of promulgating Mandarin as the national language
and creating simplified Chinese characters, Zhou's committee was charged with developing a romanization to represent the pronunciation of Chinese characters. Zhou says the task took about three years, and was a full-time job. Pinyin was made the official romanization in 1958, although then (as now) it was only a pronunciation guide, not a substitute writing system.
Zhou was sent to live in the countryside and be "re-educated", like many intellectuals at that time. He spent two years in a labour camp.
After 1980, Zhou worked with Liu Zunqi and Chien Wei-zang on translating the Encyclopædia Britannica
into Chinese, earning him the nickname "Encyclopedia Zhou". Zhou has continued writing and publishing since the creation of Pinyin; for example, his book Zhongguo Yuwen de Shidai Yanjin 中国语文的时代演进, translated into English by Zhang Liqing, was published in 2003 as The Historical Evolution of Chinese Languages and Scripts. In total he wrote ten books since 2000, some of which have been banned in China
. In his old age he has become an advocate for political reform, and increasingly critical of the Communist Party of China
's attacks on traditional Chinese culture.
Zhou married Zhang Yunhe in 1933; she died in 2002. The couple had two children: a daughter who died at age 6, and a son.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
linguist who is often credited as the "father of Hanyu Pinyin", the official romanization for Mandarin in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. He was born in Changzhou
Changzhou
Changzhou is a prefecture-level city in southern Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It was previously known as Yanling, Lanling, Jinling, and Wujin. Located on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Changzhou borders the provincial capital of Nanjing to the west, Zhenjiang to the...
.
Education and early career
Zhou enrolled in Saint John's University, ShanghaiSaint John's University, Shanghai
St. John's University was an Anglican university located in Shanghai, China. Before the Chinese Civil War it was regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in Shanghai and China...
, in 1923, where he majored in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and took supplementary coursework in linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
. He left during the May 30 Movement
May 30 Movement
The May Thirtieth Movement was a labor and anti-imperalist movement during the middle-period of the Republic of China era. It began when Shanghai Municipal Police officers opened fire on Chinese protesters in Shanghai's International Settlement...
of 1925 and transferred to the short-lived Guanghua University, from which he graduated in 1927. Zhou spent time as an exchange student in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and spent his early career working as a banker and economist overseas (mainly in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), but returned to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1949 when the People's Republic was established
History of the People's Republic of China
The history of the People's Republic of China details the history of mainland China since October 1, 1949, when, after a near complete victory by the Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China from atop Tiananmen...
.
Designing pinyin
In 1955, the government placed Zhou at the head of a committee to reform the Chinese languageChinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
in order to increase literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
. While other committees oversaw the tasks of promulgating Mandarin as the national language
National language
A national language is a language which has some connection—de facto or de jure—with a people and perhaps by extension the territory they occupy. The term is used variously. A national language may for instance represent the national identity of a nation or country...
and creating simplified Chinese characters, Zhou's committee was charged with developing a romanization to represent the pronunciation of Chinese characters. Zhou says the task took about three years, and was a full-time job. Pinyin was made the official romanization in 1958, although then (as now) it was only a pronunciation guide, not a substitute writing system.
Later activities
During the Cultural RevolutionCultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
Zhou was sent to live in the countryside and be "re-educated", like many intellectuals at that time. He spent two years in a labour camp.
After 1980, Zhou worked with Liu Zunqi and Chien Wei-zang on translating the Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
into Chinese, earning him the nickname "Encyclopedia Zhou". Zhou has continued writing and publishing since the creation of Pinyin; for example, his book Zhongguo Yuwen de Shidai Yanjin 中国语文的时代演进, translated into English by Zhang Liqing, was published in 2003 as The Historical Evolution of Chinese Languages and Scripts. In total he wrote ten books since 2000, some of which have been banned in China
Censorship in the People's Republic of China
Censorship in the People's Republic of China is implemented or mandated by the PRC's ruling party, the Communist Party of China . The special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau have their own legal systems and are largely self-governing, so these censorship policies do not apply...
. In his old age he has become an advocate for political reform, and increasingly critical of the Communist Party of China
Communist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
's attacks on traditional Chinese culture.
Zhou married Zhang Yunhe in 1933; she died in 2002. The couple had two children: a daughter who died at age 6, and a son.